The Gaian Spirit: Aife's Return
by RogueMetamorph
Summary: Though long lived, Gaian spirits aren't inherently lucky Fae. Often Nuana believed her kind's weaknesses far outweighed their abilities but she hasn't let that keep her from disobeying her Mata, a very powerful Fae. And as if that wasn't enough of a problem, Nuana is finding herself falling in love with a wolf who's in love with an irresistible succubus. Very unlucky. OC/Dyson.
1. Where It All Faegan

**The Gaian Spirit: Aife's Return**

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**Disclaimer:**** I don't own **_**Lost Girl**_** (TV show and etc.) which includes any of its characters, dialogue and story arcs. I also don't own any other book, movie, song, character or dialogue I may have mentioned along the way. I just so happened to use it for non-profitable fun in my spare time.**

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**Chapter 1 – Where It All Faegan**

_The first time Dyson ever heard her name, it was from the Ash, her name jumbled up with others as he told them about an important case. The first time he ever saw her, he was looking at a picture of her from the 1920s, her hair long despite the fashion of the time, her face cold and haunted. The first time he ever saw her smile, she was smiling at him, warming his stomach like a teenage boy's when he sees a pretty girl. The first time he ever kissed her, it was heaven._

"Come in and sit down,"

Dyson and Hale looked at each other, raised eyebrows revealing their curiosity. The Ash wasn't usually so nervous about anything… uptight maybe, but never nervous. Many of the younger Fae that worked for the Ash thought that he thought of himself too good to show any emotions. The older Fae knew that it was simply the result of the time he was born into.

Dyson and Hale settled into the twin chairs that were positioned in front of the Ash's mahogany desk and waited silently for the Ash to continue. The Ash wasn't one to beat around the bush so all they had to do what wait as the Elder Fae reached into one of his desk drawers to pull out a file, throwing the things down on his desk.

"The Norn is asking us for a favor-"

"A favor?" Dyson snorted in disbelief as Hale reached for the file and started flipping through it lazily. "The Norn doesn't ask favors,"

"Exactly," the Ash nodded, walking around his desk with his hands pressed together. "This means that we must jump at the chance of receiving a favor owed from her before the Dark can. We cannot spoil this rare opprotunity or else face the wrath of the Morrigan and Norn combined,"

"Mess what up?" Hale asked, flipping a picture in his fingers so it aimed at the Ash. "Is she putting out a hit on a couple a pretty ladies that she couldn't kill herself?"

The Ash let out a long breath through his nose, obviously annoyed with the siren's blatant idiocy in relation to the case. "If these were any normal women and the Norn wanted them, dead or alive, she would have them… However, this is a bit more complicated than a hit,"

Dyson waited, patient as the hunter he used to be.

"A month ago, the Norn's daughters went missing-"

"The Norn has daughters?"

The Ash gave the siren another annoyed look that forced him into silence. "They aren't her daughters in a conventional way that you or Dyson were born into this world. The Norn creates her children from her tree, creates them from her image to be her assistants. A Gaian spirit.

"A month ago, the Norn's youngest daughters went missing. Leah, Thea and Lily. She sent her third eldest out after them but hasn't heard from her in two weeks. When she tried to locate them she found that something was blocking her abilities to call them. She's decided to ask the Light and the Dark for aid in finding them,"

"Any leads?"

"The hearts of Gaian spirits have unique properties when harvested," the Ash explained as he sat down behind his desk. "As you can imagine, the spirits themselves are exceedingly rare. Many of the Norn's children have been murdered by Fae seeking their hearts to sell on the black market or used in potions and the like,"

"So we're looking for dealers?"

The Ash bobbed his head noncommittally. "Possibly. That's what the Norn seems to think,"

"Anything else we need to know about this case?"

The Ash nodded his head towards Hale. "That is a file of everything the Norn has divulged, which is not a lot. However, there are pictures of each of the missing and…" He reached back into his desk to pull out a plastic bag, placing down on his desk nearest to Dyson. Dyson took the back and opened it, looking in to find inside it was a shirt that held age in its faded colors. "That's for you, Dyson. The Norn said that anyone with a nose would be able to get a scent from the shirt. It was eldest of the missing's,"

Dyson opened the bag and let loose his wolf, allowing his alter ego to the forefront so that he could pick up the scent on the shirt. The wolf entered his eyes as the woman filled his senses, telling him that this was not a piece of clothing she wore often. The wolf also told him that she was very much a nature Fae, the scent of wet earth and grass making up most of her scent, a hint of vanilla shampoo mixed in. With the scent filed away in his memory, Dyson pulled back his wolf into a place in his mind that allowed Dyson control over his instincts. He opened his eyes to find the Ash watching him but Dyson knew that all he'd see was his typical pale blue eyes.

"The Norn's children are qi eaters," the Ash continued. "If they are alive, when you find them you will need to be careful when caring for them,"

Hale nodded, handing the file over to Dyson. "Understood,"

Dyson took the file and opened it to reveal three pictures.

The first was a color photograph that looked to be only a few years old, the clothes still in style and the image seeming to be taken digitally. The blonde girl in the photo looked for all the world a little angel, her smile sweet and innocent even through the camera lens. At the bottom of the picture was a sticker that proclaimed her _Lily_.

The next photograph was obviously older, the state and preservation of the picture showing its age. The style of the two girls in the photo pinned the era the picture was taken to be sometime in the eighties, both had their chocolate hair teased out as if they had stuck their fingers in an electrical socket, their makeup heavy and clothes authentic to the era. These two were Leah and Thea, both looking like fraternal twins.

The last picture was odd. He was looking at a picture from the 1920s but the woman in the picture didn't seem to fit the era at all. Much longer than was typical for the fashion in that time, her dark hair wasn't curled or done up in the style one typically saw, but pulled into a low bun on her neck. Her face was beautiful and her lightly colored eyes shined as she watched him from inside the picture, but even Dyson could tell that something was haunting her, even back then.

This was Nuana.

"We'll be right on it," Dyson assured the Ash as he handed back the plastic bag, Hale and him standing to leave. "We'll call you with an update when we find anything,"

"Good luck,"

They needed it.

It took them a whole other week before they caught any leads which was much longer than they would have liked when dealing with the black market. It was only coincidence that they had been working on uprooting a recently established black market location when Dyson caught her scent. Hale recognized the look on Dyson's face and followed him as the Were stalked through the warehouses, following him down into the basement of one in particular. While Dyson walked in, still able to see in the darkness with his Wolf vision, Hale couldn't see anything… but it didn't take a Were nose for Hale to catch the smell of body odor and feces, stopping him at the door.

Dyson continued inside, moving along the number of dog crates stacked against the walls, scenting out each of the figures in the crates. Most of the crates were empty but those that were filled had mostly dead bodies rotting inside. The few crates with those still alive enough to whimper as he passed them were mostly at the far end of the room. Here, Dyson found three crates that had figures that smelled of wet soil, one of which was plainly Nuana. With wolf-like claws, he ripped open the doors, gently pulling out the two twins who whimpered and smelled of fear when he touched them. The last was Nuana who was limp in his arms as he dragged her out, most likely unconscious from starvation.

The lights came on, making Dyson growl in protest as the twins curled around each other, one of them keeping her frightened eyes on him as he held their unconscious elder sister. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse though she didn't betray the fear Dyson could smell. "Who are you?"

"The Norn called in a favor," Hale informed them as he walked over; informing them he was behind them before they could jump away. "The Ash sent us to find you,"

"Where is Lily?" she asked desperately, looking between Hale and Dyson. "They took her away yesterday. We haven't seen her since. Please, Lily was the youngest of us. Find her,"

Dyson and Hale looked to each before the siren nodded and left to look for her.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're safe," Dyson told in a soothing voice, hoping to help calm down both twins down. "What's your name?"

"I'm Leah…" the girl told him before gesturing to the girl huddled in her arms. "This is my branch-sister, Thea. The one you're holding is Nuana,"

"Will she be alright until we get her to the compound?"

Leah looked up at Dyson with dull eyes. "No… She stopped talking yesterday. She's been feeding us qi to keep us alive,"

"Will she kill me if I let her feed on me?"

Leah shook her head. "No. You are Wolf. In her weak state you will have enough strength to stop her if she becomes too desperate. You'll give her enough strength to come back to us,"

Dyson nodded before situated the woman in his arms so that she was propped up against his leg as he leaned back against the cages. He pulled her head towards him until their lips touched, her sudden intake of breath telling him that she knew he was there.

"Feed, sister," Leah whispered, touching her hand. "_Live_,"

Nuana was hesitant, Dyson could feel it in the swaying of her body against his leg and the second it took before she inhaled. But once she began feeding, she did it thoroughly. Her fingernails bit into his chest through his shirt as she pulled him closer, forcing him to let loose a lusty growl that he hadn't meant to make.

Energy he didn't know he had swirled in his chest before it came flowing up and out of his open mouth and into hers. It felt like every emotion and sense of energy he had was leveled out, the places that had too much were taken away and the places that he was lacking filled. He felt at peace for once in his life, the instincts of his wolf calming into a soft hum in the back of his head.

Nuana let go of him in an instant, her hazel-green eyes wide as she stared at him as if she hadn't realized he'd been sitting there. The look reminded him of how a doe looked just before he attacked them in his wolf form. This woman, however, didn't make him want to eat or hunt, she just made him smile and want to curl up at her feet like a pup.

"Better?"

The Gaian spirit ducked her head in embarrassment and nodded.

He helped her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist when she swayed. Her eyes were sad as she took in the state of her sisters before they grew panicked when she realized one was missing. Her hold on his arm became painful as look around the room, desperate to find her sister.

"Lily!"

Just then Hale arrived, taking the stairs two at a time as he came down the stairs, a small blue cooler in one hand. When he looked up at them all, he wore a sad expression that all four of them could interpret. Almost instantly the twins began to wail, as if their own hearts were currently being cut out of their chests. Nuana on the other hand became stoic, her hazel-green eyes becoming haunted as she stepped away from Dyson and towards Hale. Once she reached him, she held out her hand towards the cooler, silently requesting it.

Hale didn't argue.

"We should get you out of here,"

With her strength returning thanks to her feed, Nuana was able to assist the two men in evacuating her sisters and the three Fae that had also been locked in the basement. Together, they were all taken to the Ash's compound where the Fae were cared for.

Dyson stood near the door of the infirmary, watching as Leah and Thea remained huddled together on one of the examining tables, only allowing the Fae nurses to look them over as long as they were allowed to remain together. Nuana still held the cooler in her hand and had refused any medical treatment, just allowed the Ash to speak with her as they waited for their ride to arrive. It had been nearly an hour since they'd arrived at the compound when the now familiar smell that Dyson had come to associate with Gaian spirits wafted down the hall towards the infirmary.

The wolf looked up just as the door slid open and two identical looking figures, one male and one female, both with dark hair that was as dark black as the night sky walked in. Shocking greens eyes scanned the room until they fell on their sisters, relief clouding them as they made their way across the room.

"Maia!" the twins exclaimed happily, opening their arms to the woman.

The man immediately went to Nuana's side, ignoring the Ash as he approached her. The two were close; it was obvious to anyone in the way they talked without using words. He gently caressed her face as he kissed her on the forehead, glancing down at the cooler she guarded with a knowing look. His hands dropped to her shoulders, squeezing comfortingly before he turned away from her. The man searched the room until he found Dyson leaning against the wall. He approached and silently put a hand out to Dyson who took it in a warrior's shake, hands clasping forearms.

"I thank you for returning my sisters to me," the Gaian spirit told them with a bow of his head, his long braid of hair swing behind him. "My Mata will owe your side for your services but I offer a favor to you personally. If you need me, I will come,"

"Thank you," Dyson said, bowing his head in respect.

"I trust," the Ash began as the two eldest Gaian spirits turned to look at him. "that the Norn will not forget who returned her daughters to her,"

Maia, the woman, nodded her head. "She wishes to display her sincerest thanks in returning our sisters to her. She will answer your call when you are in need of a favor, Ash,"

The Ash smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you,"

"And should you need any services from my siblings and I," Bran continued. "You need only call upon us. This will not hinder your favor from our Mata should you choose to call upon us,"

"I will remember that,"

Bran bowed deeply before helping Maia gather up his sisters to take them home. They were all headed out the door except for Nuana, who still stood beside Dyson, her eyes on the floor."I wanted to thank you. You saved us… me…"

Dyson bowed deeply to her. "It was my pleasure to save you in your time of need, Nuana. I hope you won't need me again,"

Nuana smiled at him, a smile that warmed his stomach like a teenage boy's when he sees a pretty girl. It made Dyson uncomfortable and giddy at the same time, nearly causing him to miss what she said. "… get kidnapped again though, I hope it is you my Mata sends,"

Hale coughed.

"As my brother has already said to both you and the Ash; If you are ever in need of anything, Wolf, you need only call,"

"Thank you,"

Nuana smiled, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him lightly on his bearded cheek. The action sent warmth through him and sent his wolf purring inside his head. Whatever this Gaian spirit could do, qi eater or not, it was making Dyson act like a teenager again and was making his wolf react in strange ways. He wasn't completely sure whether he was okay with it or not.

Nuana leaned back and smiled at him again. "Until we meet again,"

Over the next year, Dyson and Nuana became friends. They hadn't expected it until the Ash started calling on the Gaian spirit's for work that was closely linked with most of Dyson's cases. Nuana had been the one to come in on most of the cases, enjoying the work that the Ash offered as opposed to sitting around at home waiting for her Mata to send her after some poor Fae. The two talked about everything and nothing when they crossed paths at the Ash's compound and laughed when they had lunches together during consulting days.

The two bonded well over their similarities. They both had long lives- though hers far outshined his thousand years- the two of them speaking of the old days when they were drunk enough to recount them to each other without the pain of remembering. They worked well together, got along easy and enjoyed each other's company on cases and nights at the Dal.

The night it changed was the night the two were drunk enough to sleep together.


	2. The Unaligned Succubus

**Chapter 2 – The Unaligned Succubus **

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With one hand, Dyson drove Bo and himself to the Dal, with the other he hit the speed dial for Nuana's cell. Besides Trick, Nuana was the only other person Dyson could think off to call on that would be able to help Bo. Unfortunately, he was sure that she would actually pick up and talk to him.

It had been over two weeks since they'd had an actually conversation with each other that didn't consist of awkward moments and one worded sentences. Ever since they'd slept together, Nuana had been acting odd and Dyson's wolf had been angry with both her and himself. He wasn't sure what was going on but he wish that it's end so that he'd have his friend back.

It rang twice before giggling and the sound of Nuana shouting angrily met his years across the connection. "_Hi! This is Nuana Nornson's phone_," a feminine voice told him on the other end of the line, giggling between words as Dyson listened to the annoyed shout in the background. "_If this is Wolf, Nuana is too busy blushing right now to talk to you_-"

"_Evelyn!_"

"_Who is speaking please?_"

"It's Dyson. Can I speak to Nuana please, Evelyn?"

Evelyn was the Norn's newest Gaian spirit, barely year old and had the body and mind of impish eight year old. From what he'd heard from Nuana, the Norn had been having trouble getting a leash on the youngest Gaian. Apparently the Norn and shucked the responsibility off on Nuana for a while.

"_No!_" Evelyn whined loudly as he heard a thud over the line. "_No one ever lets me get out and do stuff! I want to talk to you. Nuana doesn't even want to talk to you. Talk to _me,"

"Evelyn, let me talk to Nuana," Dyson snarled, letting a bit of the wolf into his voice.

Evelyn made a whiny sound. "_Fine… meanie. Here she is_,"

He heard the cell phone shift hands and a loud smack as Evelyn shouted. "_What do you want, Dyson? I am a little busy_,"

He was thankful that their friendship hadn't been ruined to the point that she'd hang up on him right away. That was good. And she was still willing to help him even before he'd told her what it was. That was something he'd come to love about Nuana. No matter what he needed, she tried her hardest to try to help him.

"We've got a newcomer in town,"

"_The succubus? We have heard_,"

"She has no idea about any of the Fae world. I'm taking her to Trick to sign in and get some information about our world but I thought it would be helpful if she got some insight from a fellow qi eater. Would you be willing to come down to the Dal for a talk with her?"

There was silence on the line but Dyson was sure it wasn't beyond anything but thought.

"_Is she the foundling Trick has spoken of?_"

Dyson nodded even though she couldn't see it. "I think so,"

She sighed. "_Mata has already contacted each of us. She does not want us to get involved in business that is not ours, especially one that is so deeply engrained in so many prophecies_,"

That was a surprise to Dyson, one that had him looking over at Bo. She seemed like any normal woman that Dyson hand seen, looking like any unique Fae that liked to pretend that they were human while spinning webs of deceit. This was the foundling that Trick had been waiting for for years, the one that they'd known would come. But what sort of prophesies was Nuana talking about and why hadn't he heard of them? Why hadn't Trick mentioned them?

"_Mata wants us out of it_," Nuana repeated to him. _"… but we both know I have never listened to her much anyway. I will be there_,"

"What about Evelyn?"

Dyson could almost hear the grin on her face. "_Do you think Trick would be awfully angry with me if I leave her locked in his basement with his troll?_"

"_Hey!_"

Nuana laughed a laughed that sent chills down his spine. "We_ will be there whether Trick allows the little one in or not_,"

"_You can't leave me out on the street or Mata will be mad!_"

"_I will be seeing you, Dyson_,"

Dyson smiled. "Thank you, Nuana,"

"_Anytime_,"

The line disconnected, leaving Dyson alone in his car with Bo.

"So who was that?" Bo asked, looking over at him from her seat.

"A good friend of mine…" Dyson turned the car down a new road, muttering; "I think,"

"You think?" Bo scoffed looking over at him in amusement. "You aren't sure?"

Dyson shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "We've had a bit of a falling out…"

"When one of you fell out of bed?" The response Bo got form him made her laugh. "Come on, it's so cliché. You two probably got drunk, slept together and then it got weird because you had feelings for each other,"

"How do you know we have feelings for each other?" Dyson challenged keeping his on the road as he drove. He didn't like where this conversation had gone but he couldn't help the curiosity that he felt as Bo continued to speak.

Bo grinned at him like a teen. "Why else would it have gotten weird after? If it was just a onetime thing between friends then that would have been it. You two had feelings,"

Dyson remained silent, conceding the point.

"Anyway. Why do you think she'll be able to help me?"

More comfortable with this line of conversation, Dyson glance over at her. "You're both qi eaters. You feed off of the sexual qi in humans and Fae while she feeds off of people's excess energy until they are at an equilibrium. I think she'll be able to help you understand your eating habits a bit better, maybe help to control your urges, teach you some inside tricks… like stopping yourself,"

Bo huffed and settled back into her seat. "The Light Fae's doctor said she could help me take the edge off my lethal libido. Why don't you give me _her_ number?"

"That's asking a lot. And there are other ways for you to deal with your problem,"

"No offense," Bo smiled, hearing the suggestion in his voice. "But I don't want to owe your team and I'm looking for a more _long-term_ solution,"

"Nuana isn't Light Fae. She's unaligned, like you," At Bo's surprised look, Dyson felt the need to explain. "She's one of the daughters of the Norn, a very powerful, _very nasty_ Fae. She's been around since the beginning and thus has never had to decide between Light and Dark. Her children follow her in that respect because it's easier for them to pass between Light and Dark territory on her errands. That means that you won't owe anyone if you ask Nuana for help, and unlike her mother, she won't hold you to her for a favor later on. She might be able to help you with a _long-term_ solution that doesn't include needles and pills,"

Bo sighed in annoyance again, crossing her arms and sinking into her seat like a teenager… or like Evelyn when she was being a brat. It just made Dyson roll his eyes.

"I'll give you Lauren's number if you promise to give Nuana a try. She might end up knowing more than you think she does,"

"_Fine_,"

When they arrived at the Dal it was relatively busy, forcing Bo and Dyson to weave their way through the various Fae present. Walking through the Fae, Dyson could feel Bo close to his back, nervously staying as close to him as the Fae stared. Dyson sometimes found it amusing that a species that had stayed hidden from humans for so many years managed to be so blatantly obvious in other ways, like staring at people.

"If Fae education is all about visiting a bar, then I should have been schooled already,"

"Well, this isn't quite your normal bar. These are all our people,"

"_Your_ people maybe," Bo corrected as an elf-looking Fae winked at her, making his date smack him and started muttering at him angrily.

"It's a place where we don't have to hide who we are,"

They were nearly to the bar when Dyson finally spotted his prey, sitting at the bar, a steaming tea cup in front of her. This woman looked for the all world like fairy queen from human fairytales, elegant and glowing with an inner light that made her ethereal. Her body was tall and thin like a tree, her limbs elegant beneath her clothing, long legs crossed beneath the skirt of her white dress. Her pale skin was flawless except for dark tattoos that crossed her skin, the most obvious of which was one that went across her chest and collar bone, looking like a ceremonial necklace from a tribe instead of a tattoo. Her dark chocolate hair was a shocking contrast to her skin and white dress, the dark locks pulled back into a tight braid that swung behind her, reaching the floor easily, only a few wisps of hair escaping and surrounding her face. She was beautiful as always.

"Wolf!"

Evelyn came barreling at him, tackling him in a hug that knocked him into Bo who'd been standing to close. His arms wrapped around her small form instinctively as he rocked back on his heels, trying to keep them both from falling on their butts. He chuckled at her as she nuzzled closer into his stomach (since the top of her head barely cleared his elbow), her arms tightening around his waist as she tried to squeeze him as hard as she could. The action just had Dyson chuckling loudly at her, ruffling her hair until she let go with an annoyed shriek.

"That's mean, Wolf!" Evelyn whined at him.

Wolf was a nick name he'd gotten used to ever since he'd first met Evelyn. She'd been only a week old, barely able to talk when she'd looked up at him and declared him 'woof'. After she'd been able to talk in full sentences, she'd insisted that she'd said it correctly and continued using the name for him. Sometimes Dyson wondered if she even actually remembered his given name.

Evelyn smiled at him before her eyes turned on Bo, curious about the new woman. "Nuana isn't going to like that but I like her. She's pretty. Are you dating her now?"

Dyson growled at her, drawing her shocked eyes back to him. "Bo, this is Evelyn Nornson. She's Nuana's youngest and most annoying sister,"

Evelyn glared at him before turning to Bo, sticking out her hand to her. "My Mata is the Norn so you better be nice to me,"

"The Norn?" Bo asked Dyson as she shook the little girl's hand.

Dyson just shook her head, telling her not to ask. "Where's your sister?"

"Right here,"

The three of them looked up as Nuana approached, placing her hands on Evelyn's shoulders as she looked over at Bo. Evelyn twisted under Nuana's hold in annoyance until Nuana swatted her on the head to get her to stop.

"A pleasure, Bo. It has been a long time since I have met a succubus," Nuana extending her hand over Evelyn's head to shake Bo's hand. Bo took it, getting a close look at another tattoo on the back of Nuana's hand. "Dyson tells me that you are in search of a Fae education. Let me assure you, there is no better place than here. Trick has all of the best intelligence… besides me but not all of my knowledge is indexed,"

Bo chuckled uncomfortably as Dyson led them all to the bar where Trick, the bartender and keeper of the way station, was waiting for them. "Trick, I have someone you should meet. Bo, this is Trick, he's one of our Elders and the keeper of this way station,"

"Locals who pass through have to declare themselves here," Trick explained further for Bo as he came out from behind the bar, revealing his short stature to her. "The Dal is also a place where all Fae can find sanctuary from persecution. It's neutral ground for Light and Dark Fae,"

"Well, the looks people are giving me are hardly neutral," Bo murmured, looking up to either see people eyeing her or others quickly looking away.

"The politics of remaining undeclared are complicated,"

"Well, I'm not very political,"

"Well, that's not something you can decide on your own,"

Bo groaned, knowing she wouldn't win. "Okay, look, I just need somebody to be straight with me," Bo told both Trick and Nuana, looking between them. "I'm like a baby here. There's stuff I have to know,"

"Okay. Come with me," Trick nodded, leading her towards the back room.

Once Bo and Trick were gone, Dyson and Nuana gave each other uncomfortable looks to which Evelyn rolled her eyes over. "Are you two going to ever make up? I read a book once where it took Mercy and Adam forever to get together. But he was a werewolf and she was a shifter. There are like eight books now and it took them till number six to get married. Even though Nuana is a Gaian, Wolf is still a shifter and turns into a wolf. Maybe you could-"

"Evelyn dear," Nuana snapped, giving her youngest sister an annoyed look. "Would you be a dear and go call Reva?"

Evelyn scrunched her nose. "Reva is mean to me,"

"I know," Nuana smiled, kissing the little Gaian on the head.

Evelyn wiped at the place Nuana had kissed, glaring at her before moving off to a booth that Dyson could see a coloring station was set up. Now that they were alone, they could talk freely.

"Nuana. What happened to us?"

"We made a mistake," she told him slowly, her eyes on her tea cup. "Dyson… you are my friend and one I wish not to lose,"

"You aren't going to lose me,"

She laughed, tossing her head melodramatically until her cool hazel eyes turned on him. Those eyes sent shivers down his spine, bringing his wolf up to the forefront. "Silly Dyson. What do you think has been happening to us for the past two weeks?"

"Look," Dyson sighed, leaning closer to her so that he could drop his voice down. "You're important to me, Nuana. We can forget the past two weeks if that's what you want… but that's not going to fix this,"

Nuana shivered, glancing at the shifter out of the corner of her eyes. "Why do you always have to be so wise, wolf?"

Dyson grinned. "Says the Gaian spirit,"

"What can I say? You have learned much from my teachings,"

"Or your ramblings,"

That drew a laugh from Nuana, bring a smile to her face that warmed her eyes. It felt like old times between the two of them, talking as if they were talking about something important, making each other forget the world outside their bubble, making snide comments at each other to bring out a laugh. It felt good to be with each other again.

"By Gaia, Dyson," Nuana smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I love you, you dopey wolf,"

"I love you, too, stubborn woman,"

Nuana grinned up at him, her hazel-green eyes sparkling. "How about I get you a drink?"

"I'd like that,"

The two sat and drank, finding easy conversation until Dyson's phone rang with a call from the police station. By the time he hung up he was writing down a name and address as Bo came out of the back room with Trick. Nuana stole his drink and downed it, returning the glass to him with a smirk as he eyed her. He tapped her on the nose before turning his attention to Bo.

"The gun was registered to a guy named Michael Connel," he informed Bo as he handed her the slip of paper he'd been writing on. "He lives in the north end of the city in a trailer park,"

"Thanks,"

"So what are you going to do?"

"Pay him a visit. See if he has my client's goods,"

"I hope you leave him in one piece,"

"And if not, I'll make sure he goes with a smile on his face," Dyson didn't seem too amused while, over his shoulder, Nuana was chuckling into her teacup at the succubus's joke. "I'm kidding," Bo assured him.

"Bo, be careful who you trust," Dyson told her seriously. "There's still a lot you don't know and people will use that against you,"

"Thanks," she smiled at him before she looked over his shoulder at Nuana. "Hey, thanks for coming down here on such a short notice but I've got to go. Could you give me your number so that I can call you later?"

Nuana reached in her purse and pulled out a card, resting her elbow on Dyson's shoulder as she extended the card to the succubus. "Call whenever you need anything,"

"_Wait!_" Evelyn suddenly cried, running back over to grab onto Nuana's hand, looking around Dyson to stick her lower lip out at Bo. "You aren't going are you?"

Bo was clearly uncomfortable but managed a smile to the little girl. "Yeah, kid. I've got some business that I've gotta take care of,"

"Can I go?!" Evelyn asked excitedly.

Bo shot a desperate glance at Nuana who just sighed, tugging on the hand she held. "Evie, you know it is rude to invite yourself along on other people's adventures. Besides, Bo is doing some very important work, too dangerous for you,"

Evelyn stomped her foot once. "But I'm so bored. I bet _she_ would let me do stuff,"

Bo chuckled. "Oh trust me. You wouldn't like me. I'd stick you in the care and leave you until you baked in there,"

"That's fine,"

"_Evie_,"

The little Gaian spirit whined before spinning around and heading back towards her booth, sitting down angrily. Dyson laughed while Nuana just rolled her eyes, turning back to Bo. "Sorry about that, Bo. You better be off before she stows away in your car,"

Bo took Nuana's card with a quick thank you and left.

"She's going to get herself killed if she keeps going this way," Dyson murmured to himself more than to Nuana or Trick as the short Fae approached. "I have to find a way to manage her,"

"If she's who I think she is; managing her will be more than any of us are up to," Trick told them as his eyes followed the succubus out of the bar.

Nuana rolled her eyes at them both, taking a sip of her quickly cooling tea before she spoke. "I assume that you will do the purely Fae thing in this situation and not tell her anything?"

"I don't trust her,"

"Then get to know her, Trick," Nuana told him, pushing her empty teacup across the bar as she stood up. "She's been here for over a week and you've done nothing to contact her. She deserves to know her family. You are her grandfather after all,"

He shook his head. "No,"

"Well that does not seem very family-like,"

"More than _yours_,"

"Then you should know that controlling elders does not a happy family make," Nuana snapped at him, her eyes haunted by his subtle insult. She turned on the spot and reached up on the tips of her toes to peck Dyson on the jaw as she passed him. "Tell Bo to call me if you two refuse to do anything intelligent regarding her situation. I will see you both later,"

The two watched the Gaian spirit round up her sister and leave the Dal.


	3. Oh Kappa, My Kappa

**Chapter 3 – Oh Kappa, My Kappa**

* * *

Nuana's phone chirped annoyingly a few times before Nuana picked it up, not bothered by the unknown number. She tended to get a lot of calls from unknown numbers. "Nuana,"

"_Hi… this is Bo… the succubus from the bar last week?_"

"Of course. How can I help you, Bo?"

"Is that Bo?! _BO_!" Evelyn exclaimed, running into the room in her pajamas.

"Evelyn. I told you to go to bed,"

"But-"

"_Go_,"

Evelyn stuck out her tongue before stomping up the stairs to Nuana's guestroom that had become her room over the past week. Nuana rolled her eyes at the baby Gaian spirit before turning her attention back to her cell phone.

"I apologize for the interruption, Bo. You were saying?"

"_Well… Dyson told me that you might be able to help me because you're a qi eater like me. He told me that you eat people's excess energy or something_?"

Nuana nodded even though Bo couldn't see it. "And you are wondering how I could possible help you when you eat _sexual _qi,"

"… _I don't mean to be rude or anything but_-"

"It is alright," Nuana assured her. "Though we are completely different types of qi eaters, I believe that I can help you. I am very old and very knowledgeable about the Fae. I know a bit about controlling hunger and even a bit about succubae,"

"_What can you tell me_?"

"Well, the only thing that our kind have in common for sure is that we are both qi eaters and heal ourselves from our feeds. You create and feed off of sexual qi. My kind on the other hand, feed off of any excess qi from any organic organism. I could feed off of a house plant if I needed to,"

"_Weird_,"

"Thank you,"

"_No!_" Bo exclaimed. "_I didn't mean it like that, it's just_…"

Nuana chuckle and continued, ignoring the babbling succubus. "I can also heal people with my qi, bring them an inner peace or even go as far as healing wounds. Both parties benefit regardless unless I am ravenously hungry and out of control,"

"_Well, I'm ravenously hungry and out of control _all _the time. How do you control it? How do you make yourself stop_?"

Nuana sighed. "I am sorry to say it, Bo, but… practice. You have got to become comfortable with your own power before you start manipulating it,"

"_Fine. What else can you tell me about succubae_?"

"I have not known many mind you and their abilities varied depending on their parents," Nuana cautioned her before she continued. "I have met succubae and Incubi that could make thralls from those they fed on, some that could heal their lovers, some who could locate their most favored partners from across the country, some who could influence frequented lovers, some who could bring some of their thralls back from the dead by breathing qi back into them-"

"_Do you think I could feed back qi_?"

Nuana could hear the urgency in Bo's voice and felt bad for the woman. "You mean give back the qi you have taken so that a human will not die from your kiss? Possibly. But like I said, you have got to become comfortable with your own power before you start manipulating it. Just focus on trying to feed from humans and not killing them before you try to feed their qi back to them,"

Bo made a disappointed sound on the other end of the line.

"_Thanks, Nuana_," she sighed. "_You've given me a lot more info about myself than anyone else has been able to_,"

"You are welcome to it. Feel free to call me if you need anything. Fae related or not,"

"_Thanks again_,"

The line cut out and Nuana was left alone in her house, glancing down at her newly acquired file with a picture of Bo stapled to the front.

"Anytime,"

The next day, after finally being about to drop Evelyn with their eldest sister, Nuana drove to the Dal a cup of her favorite tea that only Trick could make. Ever since she'd gotten her own house over a thousand years ago, she didn't visit her Mata's house unless she had to which meant that a great deal of her time was spent alone. Nuana usually didn't mind the seclusion but sometimes she couldn't help but crave the sounds of others as she drank her tea and read a book inside the Dal.

"Hey, Nuana,"

Nuana looked up as Bo walked out of the Dal with a big smile on her face, her aura thoroughly happy and glowing. What she couldn't understand was why Bo was wearing a security guard uniform and a gun belt with a Taser.

Bo must have noticed the look because she immediately began to explain it to the Gaian. "Me and Kenzi decided to go into the private investigator business. I'm current going undercover as a security guard at a college. Kenzi's a student,"

"I am sorry but who is Kenzi?"

Bo's eyebrows drew together before her face grew alight with realization. "Oh! Sorry. I forgot you're never met her. She's my friend. A human,"

Nuana nodded. "Your pet?"

This description didn't seem to sit right with Bo. "No. She's my friend. I claimed her and all but she's not my pet,"

"I apologize, Bo. A lot of Fae culture is ingrained in me. I sometimes forget that it can seem strange and harsh to someone new to it," Nuana told her before stepping around her to go inside. "It was goo seeing you,"

"You too,"

Nuana walked into the Dal just in time to watch Dyson and Trick disappear down into the lower level where Trick lived and kept much of his valuables. Trick looked angry while Dyson had a guilty look on his face as he followed the short Fae down the stairs. Intrigued, she followed after them, walking down the stairs silently as she listened to their conversation.

"… to say and it isn't a problem,"

"Then you don't know what I'm going to say," Trick contradicted with a sickly sweet voice that Nuana hated. "I'm happy for the two of you. I think this is great,"

"Really?"

"Of course, not! What were you thinking?!"

"She needed healing, Trick,"

Nuana stuttered on the stairs above Dyson, her mind catching up to what her ears were telling her. Bo needing to heal meant a feed which in turn meant either a dead human or Fae sex and Nuana wasn't dumb enough to believe that Dyson hadn't obliged. The thought of it hurt Nuana more than it should have because she was refusing to admit her feelings for the Were. Gaian spirits, as far as her brothers and sisters knew, didn't fall in love with people because most of their energy was focused on their Mata and Gaia. Love was not in the picture as far as they were concerned.

So why did the idea of Dyson and Bo having sex make her want to rip her own heart out and stomp on it to make her feel better?

"That's not what I saw," Trick argued. "You are my eyes, Dyson. I need you to stay objective,"

"I am,"

"Then keep your guard up with Bo. We don't know if we can trust her yet,"

"How many hoops does that girl have to jump through for you, _Blood King_?" Nuana spoke up as she came down the rest of the stairs and stepped around Dyson without looking at him, both men turning to look at her. "She has chosen to stay unaligned, she has helped a number of people- Fae and human alike- she is trying to learn about what she is and how to control her hunger. What do you need? _You_ know more about her than _she_ does herself,"

"And how do you think she's going to react to _that_ betrayal? When she finds out the guy she's sleeping with is lying to her? Especially if he allows her to develop feelings for him-"

"Let her?" Dyson scoffed at Trick. "Are we talking about the same woman here?"

Again, Nuana winced, but neither man saw it.

"It could be enough to turn her from us. She wouldn't be the first to join the Dark for revenge,"

"And then it will be _your_ fault," Nuana bit at him, pointing an accusing finger at the short elder Fae. "You might find that meddling in fate the conventional way will birth unwanted affects just as well as opening your veins would. If you let them alone they might end up in a fine relationship verses a strained friendship because you will not allow Dyson the permission to make it more,"

"And if they were to break up?" Trick challenged.

"She isn't that stupid, Trick. Though she may be new to you does not mean she's new to the world or its pain. She's not going to run off to the Dark just to stick it to you,"

"Look, I'm sorry," Trick sighed ignoring Nuana's words and turning to Dyson again. "Things are as complicated enough as it is. You both know the stakes. We can't afford an emotional attachment, for Bo's sake as much as ours,"

"Assuming I agree with you," Dyson sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What would you have me do?"

"Whatever it takes," Trick told him. "Just end it,"

Trick left the two alone together, disappearing deeper into his lair.

Dyson stood in silence for a long time, trying to run in his head what he wanted to do. He'd only just started to get to know Bo and he'd liked what he'd seen. However, ever since he'd met the Blood King, he'd pledged himself to him and been a loyal servant to him. He couldn't turn his back now, especially on something that could result in some very bad ways.

His wolf drew Dyson's eyes to his right, finding Nuana still standing there, her body language telling him more than her expression could. While her face remained blank, her arms were crossed over her chest tightly and she was careful not to look at him or meet his eye. Something was bothering her, making her uncomfortable and neither he nor his wolf liked it. He didn't like it when she was hurting.

"So…" she began, her eyes still on the floor. "You sleep with her,"

It wasn't a question but Dyson still felt the need to answer her. "Yes… Do we have a problem?"

"No. Of course not,"

Dyson could almost smell the lie.

"Look. You are going to receive my advice whether you like it or not, Wolf," she told him, making Dyson chuckle at the sound of an order in her voice. Nuana suddenly felt shy, letting her eyes move to a pile of books on a side table. "End it gently and do not let your current relationship go any farther than feeding her. You do not want a pissed and hungry succubus on your hands. No more flirting. No more extra sex, kissing or becoming an extra qi snack. And you might try telling her '_we are __**friends**__with benefits_' when the time is right to do so,"

Dyson could tell that this was the opposite of what she wanted to be telling him but excepted her advice regardless, letting his arms drop to his sides with a sigh. "Thank you, Nuana,"

Her eyes were on his in a second, knocking the breath out of him. "Now how about you tell me what Bo's been up to? Surely she did not get hired as a security guard on a whim,"

Dyson went to work describing the case to Nuana; what Bo knew about the case, what Dyson had found out about a previous case, some of the tunnels that led beneath the school, the strange activity with missing students. By the time he was finished Nuana was pacing, her mouth flutter with unfinished words and thoughts.

"The kill is familiar…"

"What exactly are you looking for?" Dyson asked. "Can I help?"

"No," Nuana sighed as she took a short break in her movements to look up at him through a veil of dark chocolate bangs and stray wisps of hair. "Whatever Fae this is- and it _is_ Fae- is practically hanging on the tip of my tongue… I just cannot remember," Nuana growled and kicked a chair leg. "It is maddening,"

Dyson chuckled at her against his will and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. "Why don't I buy you a drink as you stew over it?"

Nuana gave him a grateful smile and followed him upstairs and to a table where they were served a pair of beers. About an hour and twenty books later, Nuana was flipping through books, refreshing her memory with dozens of Fae with every flip of a page. Dyson pretended to be helping her, looking through books as well and keeping the piles organized as she went through them. He sipped at his beer and watched her, interested in the wisps of hair that fell in her face as her hazel-green eyes flashed over sentences and her hands caressed pages.

Suddenly, a beer was set down next to Dyson's hand. Confused, Dyson looked up to see the new red-headed waitress smiling down at him. He could sense Nuana looking up at her as well, her body stiffening as she spotted the red-head.

"I'm Kayla. The new waitress here,"

Dyson bowed his head to her. "Pleasure,"

"You look like you're hard at work,"

"Not me," Dyson smiled, gesturing to Nuana on the other side of the table. "I'm just waiting patiently for her eureka moment,"

Kayla smiled. "Well, what's she working on?"

"Research," Nuana interrupted, looking annoyed even under her careful crafted mask that only showed kindness. "Can you give us a moment, please?"

Kayla glanced over at Nuana in annoyance before turning away from the table to leave. But before she did, she gave Dyson a suggestive smile and a wink, walking away from the table with a practiced sachet of her hips. Dyson looked after her before he turned back to Nuana who was sipping at her Celtic mead innocently before going back to her work.

"Aren't I supposed to be getting Bo to move on from me?"

"Of course," Nuana nodded, glancing over Dyson's shoulder before looking back to him. "But I said let Bo down easily, not flip her off,"

"How is sleeping with Kayla flipping her off?"

Nuana sighed in annoyance, shutting the book she'd been looking through and tossing it aside so that she could turn her full attention to him. "Would you normally sleep with her?"

"Yes,"

Nuana rolled her eyes. "Would you normally sleep with Kayla right after you got finished with another relationship just to piss the other girl off?"

This Dyson conceded to. "No,"

"Exactly. Just because Bo is a succubus does not mean that she only speaks in sex. Let her down easily, Dyson. Do not piss her off," Nuana was about to open a new book when she stopped, spotting Kayla watching Dyson from a distance when she spoke again. "And just so you know, Kayla is a Aos Si or one of the aes sidhe. She is an Irish Fae that live in mounds and have mated with the people of Ireland for decades. There are not many left. They also tend to wear a glamour,"

"Was _she_ wearing one?"

"Yes,"

"… And?"

"She was hiding her true form," Nuana explained before realizing, from the look on Dyson's face, that she'd have to explain a bit more. "This either means that she is normally breathtakingly gorgeous or insanely hideous,"

"And you chose to tell me this why? Do you think me shallow?" Dyson asked, feigning hurt.

"I did not say that,"

"I think you did,"

"I did not,"

Dyson smiled at her as she shyly looked back down at her book again, trying not to let the redness color her face. But Dyson could still see it. So to be kind he changed the subject, glancing back over his shoulder at Kayla. "How did you know she was wearing a glamour?"

"I could sense it," Nuana shrugged. "I have had a lot of experience with them,"

"Why? Do you wear one?"

Nuana frowned. "No,"

"But you did,"

Nuana stiffened, her eyes flashing to his with a glare. "Yes. And you know why,"

Yes, he knew of the scars and tattoos that covered her skin. Dyson could remember kissing every inch of every one she had on her long pale body, the dark ink an erotic contrast to her pale skin, the twisted pale marks that marred her skin. Those scars had been truly frightening, some rivaling the scars he could have had had he not been a Fae who healed from almost anything. Only truly horrible scars would be left behind and not healed, thus meaning that the ones she did have were pretty gruesome. He had kissed them one by one despite how her body had tried to curl in to hide them from him, self-conscious of her many marks. He thought they were beautiful.

Nuana looked up from her book after realizing that Dyson had been quiet for a long time. When she did, she was not met with the icy blue eyes that she was used to seeing when she looked at Dyson. She was met by the golden iris of his wolf, something she should have been familiar with by now but it still didn't stop the gasp that left her mouth.

The gold faded to blue in an instant as Dyson realized what she was seeing, dropping his eyes from hers in an un-wolf-like action. "Sorry,"

"Bo should have called by now,"

Dyson looked up at her, confused by the off topic comment. When he found her looking down at her book, he took the hint and glanced up at the nearest clock. It was now well past eight and well past when Bo was supposed to call him.

"Right… I should check-"

"I got it!" Nuana suddenly exclaimed, grinning as she jumped out of her seat. She flipped her book around so that he could see the illustration and the page long paragraph on the creature depicted.

Dyson couldn't help but smile at the excited Fae woman standing before him.

"I just needed to refresh my memory! They have a Japanese Under Fae who feeds on adolescent humans, sucking out their organs and converting it to a healing essence. They secrete it into the water the live in. Someone is probably using it, bringing it victims in return for the water,"

"How do we kill it if it can heal itself?"

Nuana was about to answer when Dyson's phone started ringing. "Bo, you are late. I was starting to worry-" Dyson suddenly stopped when the voice on the other end of the line wasn't Bo's, but instead a very distressed human. "Kenzi- Kenzi, slow down-" Nuana watched the change in Dyson's expression as it hardened. Something was wrong. And when Dyson hung up his phone, grabbing his coat hastily, she had the feeling that it was the urgent someone-is-about-to-be-dead sort of bad. "We've got to go. Bo is missing,"

"Oh, great," Nuana murmured before Dyson's words registered in her head. "Wait. _We_ have got to go?"

"You know what we are looking for and when we get there I won't be able to tell her,"

"Why would you not be able to- _Oh_,"

Dyson nodded, grabbing her by the arm as she ripped her coat off the rack. "Come on,"

Dyson led Nuana to his car and together they drove just above the speed limit all the way to Loxely College where they met Bo's human- Kenzi- at the main office. Together they went to the dean's office, where Bo had told Kenzi she was headed. However, when they got there, they found the dean dead, a letter opener in the side of her neck.

"Now how are we supposed to find Bo?" Kenzi exclaimed, her eyes on the dead woman. "Those tunnels run for miles,"

"I have a plan," Dyson told her, heading back outside. "Come on,"

The three headed toward the woods just outside Loxely grounds. Kenzi followed Nuana as Nuana followed Dyson, watching as he sniffed the air to try to follow Bo's recent scent. But trying to follow it was becoming increasingly hard in his human form when the scents of the forest and various joggers began to mix together. Eventually, he couldn't tell what was fresh and what wasn't.

"Bo's still not answering her phone," Kenzi informed them, hanging up for the third time. "How do we even know where we're going?"

"The trail's mixed with somebody else's," Dyson told Nuana as he came to a stop, her next to him as Kenzi accidently slammed into the Gaian spirit. "I can't follow trail like this," And that was when Dyson started stripping off his clothes, Nuana catching his shirt as he handed it to her.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Kenzi, stay with Nuana. If this is Fae, she'll know what to do once you find Bo,"

"And what are _you_ going to do?"

Dyson shifted into his wolf form, a white wolf dropping down onto all fours before taking off into the woods. Dyson followed the scent that was mixed with Bo's off from the trail, the hint of electricity making his nose itch uncomfortably. He could hear Kenzi's exclaimed of excitement as Nuana urged her to follow.

After collecting Dyson's clothes, Nuana followed the white wolf closely, Kenzi keeping up. Nuana stayed in step with the wolf until she spotted drag marks etched into the ground, the leaves and dirt disturbed. She stopped following the wolf to follow the drags to the open mouth of a cave, ignoring the pained male scream that resounded through the forest along with the angry growl.

She shoved Dyson's clothes into Kenzi arms and entered the cave, met with iron doors, female screaming and a creature's grunts. She quickly picked up an iron pipe lying on the ground and ran inside, coming face to back with a hungry Kappa who was currently trying to feed from Bo. With all the power that Nuana could employ, she swung her pipe at the Kappa, knocking the top of its head off. The Kappa froze, his hands going slack of Bo's throat, before he fell to his knees, the liquid in his head spilling out as its last breath wheezed from its lungs. Nuana dropped the pipe with a grunt, looking a bit disgusted at the dead Fae before her.

"Is it dead?"

Nuana nodded.

With this affirmation, Bo quickly ran to the girl huddled at the other end of the cave, Gina.

Nuana smiled when something soft and warm brushed against her hip. She looked down to find a familiar white wolf at her side, his fur almost completely white except for the dusting of brown across his nose and around his rump. His tongue lulled out of the side of his mouth as he looked up at her with a silly wolfish grin, revealing long pink teeth. Nuana smiled down at Dyson, scratching him behind the ears fondly for a moment before looking back to find Kenzi smiling suggestively at the two of them.

Nuana rolled her eyes and turned back as Bo approached them with a scared Gina. "Kenzi, why are you carrying men's clothes? And what's with the dog?"

Kenxi grinned, about to open her mouth to explain when Nuana interrupted.

"This is my dog, Griff," Nuana smiled, patting Dyson on the head. In response, he raised his nose so that her palm got wet with perspiration and wolf snot. She frowned at him and tapped him on the nose. "I thought he might be helpful,"

"Then what's with the clothes?"

"We can explain later,"

Kenzi gave the most desperate, whiney sound that Nuana had ever heard but ignored her.

_Griff_ left Nuana's side to got to Gina's, nuzzling up to her and comforting her as only a big fluffy animal could. A great deal of the stress left the girl's body as her fist clenched in Dyson's fur, petting the big wolf like a puppy. Together, Kenzi, Bo and _Griff_ led Gina out of the cave and back towards the college, while Nuana called in the Fae, smirking as the wolf's tail wagged on his way out.


	4. Faetal Attraction

**Chapter 4 – Faetal Attraction**

* * *

Dyson glared as the kid charged with car theft waved at him sarcastically as he passed by his desk, ready to walk free from the police station. It was Dyson's fault and he knew it. He shouldn't have lost his temper and dislocated the kid's arm. Now the kid was walking free and Dyson's supervisor was walking towards his desk.

Dyson hated the world right about now. He felt like the world was spinning out of his control and that was the one thing that Dyson had always had. Control. But he had too much on his plate from the Fae world; Trick was trying to control everything he did when he was near Bo, he'd been having trouble keeping the Ash off his back, things with Bo had left both of them pissed off, Bo wouldn't keep her nose out of Fae business, and then his feelings for Nuana had been confused. The measly human world was trying to order him around was just icing on top of the cake.

Dyson couldn't deny the fact that he had feelings for Bo. He cared about her, wanted to protect her and help her in any way he could. He couldn't help being attracted to her either since she was a succubus but the sex was making everything complicated. But then there was Trick, the Light Fae… everyone telling him how bad of an idea it was. But he couldn't help how much he wanted her. He wanted to know her, wanted to touch her.

He really needed to get himself under control.

And then there was Nuana. He knew he had feelings for her since he'd had her for a best friend since he'd met her. Not to mention that he wanted to protect Nuana, not because she was a new baby in the world of the Fae, but because she needed someone to protect her. But there was more than just that. It was Nuana who his wolf wanted, not Bo. Nuana's scent was intoxicating to both him and his wolf, making his wolf calm down while the man in him was riled up.

"That's right, champ, look at that," his supervisor muttered sarcastically as she watched the kid with the sling strut out of the police station. "Not only is he dodging charges on the arrest, he is going to sue our collective ass,"

"Never gonna happen. It's just talk,"

"Really? You can deduce that? Interesting because you haven't been deducing shit this past while,"

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" Dyson growled, annoyed at her roundabout way of speaking at the moment. If she had a problem, she might as well just say it to his face.

"You. You are a problem. This is your third complaint this week,"

"It's nothing new. It's just suspects stirring up shit,"

"No. You're losing control and it's getting in the way,"

"Look, I'll try harder, okay?" Dyson growled in her face sarcastically.

"Yeah, you'll do better than that. Starting tomorrow you will report to the shrink and you will get your head shrunk or else I am chaining you to this desk,"

She muttered to herself on her way out, passing Hale. The man looked after her before approaching Dyson, who wanted nothing more than to be left alone. "Well done. Now are you going to tell me what the hell is going on? This is lame you leaving me out like this,"

Dyson got up out of his chair and walked up the bulletin board. It was covered with various cases he hadn't cracked yet. Maybe he did need to talk to someone. "Man, I got the cops and I got the Fae. That's two full-time jobs. And now I got Bo. She's a handful on her own,"

Hale rolled his eyes until he realized why Dyson had that look on his face. "Oh man. You hit that?" The reaction he got was answer enough. "Yes you did,"

"I need a drink,"

"Fine, but you're my wingman. You got it?" Hale told him, following him out of the police station. "I'm tired of being with the ugly chick,"

"Oh, my God!" Bo exclaimed as she put down her empty shot glass. "That is good. That is good! It makes my throat tingle,"

"I don't think I have a throat left," Kenzi murmured with lidded eyes, turning an appreciative glance at Trick. "That is some good shit, Mr. T,"

"Oh, you! You are the Kenziest Kenzi ever!" Bo exclaimed, kissing Kenzi on the cheek before the two fell into a fit of giggles.

"Hello, ladies. May I join?"

Both Bo and Kenzi looked up from their perspective shot glasses to see Nuana smiling down at them. Her hair, which was up in a bun, had fallen down onto her shoulders with twigs sticking out from it in every direction. She was wearing an olive green plaid shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, that was covered in patches of dried mud. She was also wearing a pair of dark jeans that hugged to her hips in a way that Bo appreciated a tear in one knee. Regardless of her clothes, hazel eyes sparkled at them seductively, her smile captivating the two drunken women.

"Of course," Bo smiled, picking up a shot glass to hand to Nuana. "We're celebrating,"

"And what exactly are you celebrating?"

"Being free of Mr. Dog breath,"

Nuana's eyebrow raised that Bo, feigning confusion at her statement. "Excuse me?"

"Dyson rejected me," Bo told Nuana, spinning on her stool in a depressed sluggishness. "He said we can still be friends but he's not interested,"

Kenzi rolled her eyes. "That's like your parents saying that you can keep your dead puppy,"

Bo spun around on her stool again, spotting a Middle Eastern looking man coming towards the three of them. "OH! This guy. This guy has sexual qi to burn," Nuana and Kenzi followed Bo's eyes to see a finely dressed man coming towards them, his eyes on Nuana. She, of course, knew him right away and stood to greet him with open arms.

"Hello, Samir,"

"It is good to see you again, Nuana," he smiled, hugging her. "It has been too long,"

"We must have dinner, you, Olivia and I," Nuana told him politely. "Catch up and reminisce,"

"If we were to reminisce, I believe that we would only repeat history," Samir murmured with a mischievous grin on his face that made Nuana blush while Bo and Kenzi looked amused.

"I hope not. You and Olivia were quite rough last time,"

"As I remember, you liked it,"

Nuana blushed, annoyed when she heard Bo and Kenzi snorting behind her. "Have you come to speak with Bo?" Nuana asked, looking over his shoulder to see Olivia eyeing Bo appreciatively from her seat across the room. "I highly recommend her to you, my friend. Especially now,"

Samir smiled. "Yes, she is Olivia's choice,"

"A good choice indeed. Just do not mention her inability to choose a side if you can help it. She does not seem to like that. Just get to the point,"

"Of course," He moved past Nuana gracefully, walking past her and over to his true target who was watching him with an intrigued smile. "Hello. I am Samir,"

"Bo,"

"And the woman over there is my wife, Olivia,"

"Awesome… bone structure," Bo commented before coming out with it. "She's lovely,"

"I am glad you think so," Samir smiled seductively down at her as Kenzi suddenly took interest in a nearby bottle of mead. "We were hoping you would join us for a drink back in our place,"

Bo caught on after a moment. "And your wife? Is she okay with that?"

"My wife is a Uranus, a Fury. I would not so much as flirt with you if she did not give me to say so. In fact, you are her choice… and I wholeheartedly agree,"

Bo giggled uncontrollably for a moment before shaking her head. "Yeah, I don't know,"

Samir gave Nuana a disappointed glance before walking back over to his wife.

Kenzi gave an annoyed sound. "Are you a succubus or a Suck-U-_Bust_? You need a good screw and this guy is practically packing the whole damn store,"

"And I know from experience that you would be very satisfied with those two, Bo," Nuana put in, linking her arm with Bo's. "They are very sexual beings despite their species. Like you said, and probably know, they have sexual qi to burn. Enough to start a fire if they weren't careful… just be careful that they do not have other motives,"

Bo hesitant about the whole thing until her expression suddenly sobered as she looked towards the door. Nuana looked up just as Dyson walked by, sour and negative qi practically wafting off of him as he walked by, the darkness of his aura reached out to her, bringing Goosebumps up across her skin.

Nuana, like Bo, was a qi eater. Her kind fed on living things, mostly on whatever excess qi that they had inside their body- sexual qi, stress qi, anger qi, greed, wisdom, goodness, vileness, happiness- whatever what left over. She could also affect a person's qi, stirring it up and shifting it around to heal a person either physically, mentally, or emotionally. It was the nature of her kind.

So when Nuana walked by, she shivered.

That was when Bo walked past her, spurred on by Kenzi, and headed over to Samir and Olivia, leading them out of the Dal. Nuana was proud of her.

And then she looked over at poor, drunken Kenzi. "Do you need a ride?"

Kenzi waved her off. "Nah. Can call a cab… I could walk too. It's not far, right?"

Nuana didn't wait until Kenzi tried to illustrate to her whether or not she could in fact walk. She just held up a hand as Kenzi moved to stand. "Luckily I have my car with me. Let me get some tea to go and I'll take you home,"

Kenzi didn't argue, just got settled into her seat as Nuana called Trick over.

The next day Nuana walked into the Dal for some lunch and a cup of fresh tea when she noticed Dyson sitting on the far side of the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand. Curious, Nuana approached him until she was leaning against the bar beside him. Dyson showed no sign that he knew she was there but Nuana knew that he was just ignoring her. So she touched him, her hand landing lightly on his arm and getting the full force of how his bad week had affected him. Dyson jerked away from her instantly and growled deep in his chest, the wolf in his eyes as he glared at her. He may have expected her to be afraid of him and run away screaming but she wasn't nor had she ever been. Instead, she merely let him go at his threat, waiting for him to calm down.

"What?" Dyson snarled at her.

"You do not feel so good,"

Dyson looked her up and down, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the buldge under her jeans around her left thigh. He could smell the fresh wound on her leg, could smell the bitter smell of old blood and healing beneath the new bandage. "Be careful who you point fingers at, Gaian. You don't look so good yourself,"

Nuana looked down at herself and frowned. "I was on a job,"

"For the Norn?"

"Who else?"

Dyson growled. "Stealing someone's first born or just their soul this time?"

The hurt in Nuana's eyes rivaled Dyson's guilt when he saw it. His bad mood instantly changed to guiltiness and pain as he looked at his best friend. He knew and had known for a while that Nuana hated the things that her Mata forced her to do. Gaian spirits were healing a Fae who cared for those around them, not couriers of pain and suffering.

"Dude," Hale said, looking just as shocked as Dyson did. "That was cold,"

"Nuana," Dyson breathed, pushing away his beer. "I'm so sorry,"

She dropped her eyes away from him and waved him off. "It is fine, Dys-"

"No, it's not," he growled at her, getting her to look up at him. "I've been having a shitty week. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that,"

"I know you didn't… and maybe I can help,"

Dyson and Hale gave each other confused looks as Nuana stood, heading towards a secluded corner of the pub. When she noticed Dyson wasn't following her, she turned to find him giving her a skeptical look. She rolled her eyes before she snapped her figures and whistled at him as if he were an actual dog that belonged to her.

"Come here, Griff! Come on! Come on, Griff!"

Dyson pretended to ignore the snort of amusement that he could hear come from Hale's direction as his eyes stayed on Nuana. Unwillingly, but too curious to not follow, Dyson walked over the corner that Nuana directed him to, wondering what she had planned.

Once they were out of sight Nuana backed him up into a corner until his back hit the wall. Only his surprise allowed her to do it, his eyes locked on her as her hands moved towards him. One hand rested against his cheek while the other was placed directly over his heart, his skin tingling under her touch. He only became more confused when he began to glow beneath her hands and felt a familiar sensation within him. It was the same stirring he'd felt with Bo but this time it wasn't a drag from the pit of his stomach, it was a stirring everywhere and a drag from his heart, stomach and head. Then he felt the qi flow up into his mouth and out.

Opening his eyes, which he hadn't realized were closed, he found Nuana's face only a few inches from his. Her mouth was open, inhaling qi before the flow came to a stop, sending her down and rocking back on her heels. Her head lulled forward, her hands sliding to his shoulders as she let out a contented sigh that made his stomach tighten. The whole thing brought his wolf to the forefront, shifting his eyes to black and gold as he looked down at the Gaian.

Nuana's hazel-green eyes opened and met his golden ones, her expression immediately turning shocked as she stepped away from him. "I apologize, Dyson, I did not mean to-"

"It's alright," Dyson assured her as his eyes shifted back to their usual pale blue. Tentatively, he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear to get her attention back on him and off of his tie. "It was a very… satisfying on my end,"

"It should and hopefully you will have a good couple of days for a while,"

"Way cool," Hale smiled as he approached, having been listening. "Can I put it on my speed dial for my aches and pains?"

Nuana just chuckled and shook her head, turning back to Dyson to pull on his tie. "And you owe me a drink, cowboy," Dyson gladly agreed, leading her to the bar.

But before they reached it, Dyson's phone beeped twice.

Nuana scrunched her nose at him and looked at the screen of his phone. "I know that number…"

Dyson hit the accept button and read the text. "Who's Samir?"

"Oh, Gaia," Nuana groaned, her forehead connecting with Dyson's shoulder. "You are going to want to go see Bo after you check out the crime scene,"

"Why?"

"Because that is the couple she took home with her last night,"

Dyson groaned. "Well come on, Hale,"

The next day Nuana got an urgent call from the Ash himself, ordering her down to the Light Fae compound. It was only when she heard Olivia's rambled screaming in the background of the call that she had an idea of what was going on. She drove as quickly as she could to the compound and was met at the entrance by Dyson who led her through the halls to the infirmary where the screams and ramblings where originating. Inside she found the Ash, Hale, Bo and the human doctor, Lauren, surrounding a crazed Olivia who was restrained against a hospital bed.

"Hello, everyone," Nuana greeted everyone even as her eyes stayed on Olivia as she twisted and bucked against the table, moaning and whispering to herself.

As a Gaian spirit, Nuana's mother's instincts to heal wounded Fae kicked in almost instantly at the sight of the crazed Fury. Nuana felt the need to make everything right as she reached out and petted Olivia's forehead like a mother would a sick daughter.

"Olivia… What has happened?"

"_**Don't touch me**_!" Olivia roared, her eyes turning red as she jerked away.

"That was what this Succubus was about to explain to us," the Ash spoke, his eyes on Bo as she looked down at a twisting Olivia.

"She asked me to execute a human and I refused," Bo explained. "We fought and her attack backfired. I went over to talk to Samir but he was already dead when I got there. All I saw was Olivia like this. She ran as soon as she saw me,"

"Hmm… her insanity does explain the messy kill," the Ash murmured before his eyes moved to Nuana who was still watching Olivia. "Lauren is doing what she can but Olivia's mind is out of our reach. I was hoping that you may be able to do something for us,"

Nuana looked up at him and nodded. "Of course,"

Without any warning, Nuana swung herself up onto the heightened hospital bed, her knees on either side of Olivia's hips as the Gaian kneeled over her patient. Carefully, Nuana placed both hands on either side of the Fury's face, her hazel-green eyes staring into the crazed ones. Nuana stirred Olivia's qi, trying her best to right what had been wronged even as her mind was decaying at an exponential rate. Nuana's body hunched over as the excess qi Olivia held almost felt like it was burning her.

"**Cuts off all the stems and falls off all the pretty petals… **_**Shit encrusted maggots! Burning, scorching rain! Filets of rotten sinners**_**... Smiles of teeth and brushes of skin… Gaia! Gaia! Bedded by Gaia and her spirit… **_**Succubus whore**_!"

Suddenly, Olivia stopped, her eyes becoming clear as she looked up at Nuana.

"I did not kill my husband,"

Everyone was silent at hearing this, eyes on the Fury and the Gaian spirit. But just as suddenly as the peaceful moment had come, Olivia's sanity disappeared, her eyes growing red as she looked up at Nuana.

"_**I ate his brains with a tarragon sauce but he did not die! That worst worthless cheating sack of shit taunts me from the Otherworld**_!"

"Attacking a human out of jealousy, murdering your mate? You are supposed to punish those who break our rules not break them yourself," the Ash murmured to Olivia even though he knew that she could not hear him, let alone understand him. Then he turned to Bo, who was watching the two Fae women with interest. "And you- siding with a human over a Fae- you could not take a more foolish position,"

"The day is still early," Bo threw back.

Suddenly Nuana moaned, her body curling over Olivia's as the Fae began to twitch and shutter under the weight of her insanity. The sound of the speeding heart monitor was the only sound in the room before Nuana's eyes returned to Olivia's and she began to yell at her.

"Olivia, look at me! Do not do this! Look at me,"

Olivia's eyes met Nuana's with a flaming red vengeance that made Nuana jerk away from Olivia, nearly falling off the hospital bed to get away from the Fury. She would have hit the floor in her hurry to get away from the Fury's gaze if not for Dyson who caught her before she completely tumbled to the floor. He pulled her the rest of the way off the bed and set her on her feet, an arm wrapped around her waist as she groaned. Nuana rubbed at her eyes, feeling the ache of a Fury's gaze just behind her eyeballs, tucking herself into Dyson's side to keep from falling.

Then she heard the heart monitor flat line.

Nuana opened her eyes to look at the Fae woman she couldn't save. A friend.

"I am sorry, Ash,"

"It is alright, Nuana. I am sure you did what you could," he told her before he sighed as his eyes moved back to the dead Fury. "I will break the news to Olivia's sisters," His eyes then moved to Bo. "We will be keeping you under close scrutiny,"

The Ash turned, his brown eyes blatantly taking in the position of Dyson's arm around Nuana's waist and her grip on the edge of his shirt. The Fae man frowned at the two of them, a flame igniting in his eyes that Nuana had not seen in a very long time and dreaded.

"And you, Dyson," the Ash breathed. "Let us hope your performance improves,"

Dyson frowned in response.

"Nuana. Would you come with me, please?"

Nuana let all emotion drain from her face as her hand gripped the edge of Dyson's shirt. Dyson had no idea what was going on but he didn't like the effect it was having on Nuana. He could practically feel her shaking against him.

"No," she breathed without meeting the Ash's eyes. "I need to leave,"

"Nuana-"

"NO!" Nuana shouted, ripping herself out of Dyson's arms to run out of the compound.

At the end of the day, Bo did find who had killed Samir. However, Kenzi had to be kidnapped and the both had to be nearly killed by two angry Furies and a psycho human named Jenny. It ended with Jenny's shed exploding with Jenny and Olivia's sisters inside, a dozen charred skulls flying through the air as Kenzi and Bo took off running towards Dyson as he pulled up. Dyson called Nuana as he had promised and Nuana offered to take Bo, Kenzi, Dyson and Hale out for drinks to celebrate the next night. Kenzi agreed enthusiastically, willing to take full advantage of the offer, warning Nuana that she was going to get as much alcohol as Nuana was willing to buy.

After drinks, Nuana curled up in the center of her bed after a long shower and pulling on a pair of baggy men's pajamas. She tried not to cry as the memories of love and fire overwhelmed her.

* * *

**Author's Note: I really appreciate all of my readers who have been favorite-ing this story. I love that you guys think my story is worth favorite-ing to your profiles... However, I also would like it if you reviews. Maybe even copy and paste your favorite line from the chapter? I love to hear what you guys think or the parts that made you laugh or feel all warm and fuzzy. I want to know.**


	5. Deadly Lucky (5-1)

**Chapter 5 – Deadly Lucky (5.1)**

* * *

"Riddle me this; how does a dead guy run around town placing bets?"

Bo and Kenzi had been working on a case that had fallen into their lap for the past day now… or more so, a case that had thrown Bo into the back of a smelly van. A luck Fae, Meyer, had hired Bo to find out how a man had stiffed him two thousand dollars when the man had had no more luck left in him to win two thousand dollars. Bo and Kenzi had gone to go to see said man, a man named Roger, only to find out that he'd been dead for two days, twenty-four hours before he bet at Meyer's establishment.

"A dead human walking?" Trick repeated. "Uh-oh,"

"What? Fae zombies?"

"Sort of," Nuana spoke up from the other side of Kenzi.

The group looked up as Nuana sat down beside them, having just arrived at the Dal after a case of her own. Her long rope of hair that had once been braided down her back was now cut diagonally halfway up her back and was unraveling. Her V-neck shirt was dirty and the front of it was ripped down to reveal a glimpse at her black bra and more intricate tattoos. All in all, she just looked disheveled.

"The Chinese call them Hsien, we call them body jumpers," she continued. "They can inhabit a recently dead body just by touching them. The better the condition the body is in, the longer it takes to rot, the longer they can stay in it. They have their own bodies jump back to when there are no longer any bodies around but they typically prefer other bodies compared to their own,"

Trick shivered. "Nasty bastards,"

"Well, what's so bad about that?" Bo asked.

"It's distasteful. Humans are for feeding, not wearing,"

"Ha," Kenzi muttered. "That's funny,"

"If you need to find one, I know of a Light Fae body jumper in town," Nuana told the two women who looked hopeful. "This body jumper is the reason why there were Elvis sightings in the fifties. Dyson probably knows him personally because of all of the offenses against him,"

"Thanks," Bo smiled.

Dyson and Hale were shooting pool on the other side of the Dal after getting off of work when Dyson downed yet another energy drink. It felt almost as if Bo were eating him out of body and qi. He'd barely gotten a break over the past week and was feeling rundown, hence the energy drink.

Even Hale was beginning to notice; "That's your third energy drink and you still look like shit,"

"Hale, she is _relentless_. This is the first break I've had all week,"

"I'm going to do you a favor," Hale informed him with a smirk. "Give Bo my digits and I'll cover your shift,"

Dyson rolled his eyes at the siren. "I can manage, brother. Thanks though,"

Hale looked around before ducking down next to Dyson, feeling the overwhelming need to ask the question that had been nagging at him since he'd found out that his best mate had been running around with the local succubus. "Tell me, what's it like with a succubus?"

Dyson smirked. "Remember Daphne?"

"The nymph? _Hourly_. Yes,"

Dyson's smirk grew wider. "Well, I lost her number and I don't even care,"

Hale's shocked brown eyes were wide as he watched Dyson walk away, only managing to get one word out to illustrate the situation; "_Damn_,"

Just then Dyson walked up on Bo, Kenzi, Trick and Nuana, a smile on his face as he looked over the three women. "I believe I heard my name. Nothing bad being said about me, I hope,"

"Just revealing your furry little secrets to the masses," Nuana grinned, knocking into him with her shoulder.

It was then that Dyson seemed to finally notice her disheveled appearance. "God, Nuana. What happened to you?"

Nuana shrugged. "A charaus didn't want to give up her egg,"

Bo and Kenzi gave each other blank looks.

"Anyway," Nuana continued nonchalantly. "Bo needs your help with the neighborhood Hsien,"

"Hsien?"

"Apparently there's a dead man walking,"

Dyson eyed Nuana before he conceded to her. "Yeah, I know him. His name is Eddie. He works as a morgue attendant,"

"There. Was that so hard, huh?" Bo smiled, ruffling Dyson's hair fondly.

This, of course, made Trick give them a strange and suspicious look. Dyson batted her hand away, giving Nuana a bit of a desperate and guilty look. Not only was he supposed to have broken it off with Bo for Trick but he was feeling strangely guilty for sleeping with her. And now Bo was flaunting their supposedly secret relationship around like it was nothing.

"You two want my help or not?"

"Of course," Bo smiled suggestively. "You never know when I might get-"

Nuana spun around, grabbed Bo by the back of her head and clamped her lips down firmly over Bo's. The succubus's surprise allowed Nuana to run her tongue over the succubus' lips, prying them open as she sent a rush of sexual qi into the woman. The reaction was instant and instinctual, Bo's hands gripping Nuana's hips to pull her in, feeding off of Nuana's qi. Nuana allowed the feed as she in turn pulled qi from Bo for quick feed.

When Nuana finally forced Bo to pull away, she turned and gave Trick's and Dyson's shocked expressions a coy smile. She couldn't help but smile as she took Dyson's hand in hers and pulled him towards the door, leaving Bo to follow.

"Wait! What the hell was that?"

When the three of them entered the morgue, they were greeted by the sounds of _Black Velvet_ by Alannah Myles, a blonde in skimpy nighty dancing about the room. Bo might have been attracted to the seductive dance if it weren't for the blonde's slit wrists or the body of the male body jumper lounging in a seat nearby. The second Dyson turned off the radio the blond stopped her dancing, a shot of fear entering her eyes before she realized who it was.

"Eddie! What is it with the blonds, man?"

The blond grinned, making kissy faces and strutting up to Dyson as Bo scrunched her nose in disgust. Nuana only found the whole thing amusing, her many centuries of life softening her view on how disturbed the whole thing was.

"Oh, don't even start playing. I'm not looking. Get back in there," Dyson bit out at the body jumper, trying not to laugh at his antics. "I'm not playing. Get back in!"

The blond made an annoyed sound and slumped against the body lounging behind the coroner's desk. The man sucked in a breath and whine at the shifter, about to complain some more until his eyes settled on Bo and Nuana. "Hey, who're the smoking dames?"

"_Dames_? What, did someone from 1932 follow us in?"

"Bo, Nuana, meet Eddie. Light Fae," Dyson introduced as the man waved. "Likes to wear corpses around and gets himself into all kinds of trouble,"

Eddie snorted at Dyson's word use. "Remember those Elvis sightings in the seventies? Yeah, that was all Eddie," he smiled, shrugging the blonde's body off of his chest and onto the floor. Nuana winced at the resounding thud.

"Congrats,"

"But now I'm starting to appreciate my own body. You know what Twelve Steps taught me? _Thou shalt not wear thy neighbor_," Eddie snorted before he realized what he said and sobered up. "I've really got to call my sponsor,"

"You've really crossed the wrong guy this time. Meyer is pissed,"

The body jumper had taken a bite of his lunch when his eyes suddenly popped out of his head at Dyson's words. "_Meyer_ Meyer?" Dyson nodded. "I'd never deal with the Dark. I swear on my mom's sacred skin! Come on, you know how our people keep tabs on everyone? Like across party lines? Rumor has it that Lucas is in town,"

"Who's Lucas?" Bo asked.

"Dark Fae Hsien. Very nast fellow, Makes Eddie's transgressions look positively PG,"

Eddie smiled. "Aw, that's sweet,"

"Where is he? The real Lucas?"

"You know the deal. You want to find the real the Hsien-"

"You must find his real body," Nuana finished, getting an approving nod from Eddie. She then turned to Bo. "It is time that you break the bad news to Meyer. And I am coming with you,"

"Fine," Bo smiled, turning to look up at Dyson with an expectant look.

Dyson shook his head. "You two are on your own. I can't enter Dark Fae territory,"

Bo rolled her eyes at the shifter and headed out ahead of them.

Bo was the first to walk into the Chinese restaurant Meyer owned and had expected to be the one to begin with the introductions. However, as soon as Nuana walked into the place she greeted each of the Fae guards by name, each of them bowing their heads to her in respect. When they finally entered the main dining area, Nuana greeted Meyer as if they were old friends. Both Bo and Kenzi on the other hand, just stared at them dumbfounded, listening as they conversed.

"I can't even believe it's you!" Meyer smiled, releasing her from their warm hug to look her over again with a rare smile. "You look so different,"

Nuana rolled her eyes at him. "I apologize for not coming to see you sooner, Boba. My mata has kept me positively busy in the last thousand years. Only recently did she come to realize that I was not her favorite to send out on her delicate errands,"

Kenzi's wide eyes met Bo's as she leaned towards the succubus and whispered; "The _last thousand_ years? Who are we dealing with? Grandmamma Time?"

"It's good to see you, little Nunu," he laughed, kissing her on the forehead. "And not even on a business trip either,"

"Well, actually…" Nuana turned to Bo.

Given the reigns, Bo went to work on explaining the situation to Meyer. She started with Roger's death, moved on to what she'd found about the Hsien and ended with the fact that Lucas had come into town recently. Meyer was not happy and instantly told them about his business rival, Jesper Samli, giving them the man's address. Bo and Kenzi looked eager to go undercover but Nuana was content to let them go on their own.

"You want to come with us?" Bo asked, intrigued at the idea of getting to go out in the field with Nuana and get to know the woman better. "We could always use an extra man,"

"Do you not think you two will be enough?"

"No! We can always use extra playahs," Kenzi exclaimed with a mischievous smile as she threw her arm around Nuana's shoulders, pulling her close. "But it might also help if you bring money so that-"

"Kenzi!" Bo exclaimed, slapping the girl on the back of the head.

"_What?!_"

Bo glared at her for a moment before turning back to Nuana. "It might _also_ be helpful having _another Fae around_,"

Nuana smiled over at a pained Kenzi before nodding her agreement to Bo. "Alright. But we will have to go in separately. I happen to also know Jesper as well-"

"God, how old _are_ you? Better yet, what kind of Fae are you, cheekah?"

Nuana smirked over at Kenzi. "It is rude to ask a woman her age,"

"So,_ that_ old, huh?"

"And it is rude in the Fae culture to ask another what they are,"

"_So_," Bo interrupted, before Kenzi could ask anything else of the Fae woman. "You'll go in first and then we'll follow?"

"And I will give Kenzi some pocket change," Nuana nodded before turning to Kenzi, giving her an appraising look before speaking. "How would ten thousand dollars sound to you?"

Kenzi's mouth dropped open. "… Ten… thou… Oh, shizz. How loaded are you?"

Nuana couldn't help the mischievous smile that spread across her face at the look that Kenzi was giving her. "Well… let us just say that if you needed surgery- any surgery you can think of- I would be able to pay for your whole family to get it,"

Kenzi's jaw was almost to the floor while her mouth watered greedily at that thought. "Can I move in with you?"

Even with the potential for Jesper having stolen money from Meyer, Nuana couldn't help but see the Hrimthurs. Nuana didn't make a lot of friends in the Fae world because she knew that there was always the chance that they'd make a deal with her mother. A lot was made easier if she only had to torture acquaintances instead of close friends who tended to beg in a much more painful way. It was already hard to hurt another living being, she didn't need to make it harder on herself. So, as she entered Jesper's backroom gaming facility, Nuana couldn't help but smile. There wouldn't be any death this night.

She watched the poker game currently going in the center of the room with little interest, eyeing the dull hues of the auras in the room. She'd only caught on to the brighter auras of the Fae when she felt a wave of bitter cold hit her back. A smile crept onto her face even before she turned to look up at the impossibly tall man standing behind her. He gave her a cold look that would have intimidated many younger Fae but it only served to make Nuana's smile grow. Jesper's smile slowly creaked and broke until it melted completely into a grin that he rarely showed anyone. He leaned down to hug her with a frosty laugh that rattled her bones, chilling her a bit when he kissed her on the cheek. It was just as she remembered when she'd been a little girl.

"Nuana! Det är så skönt att se dig, lilla! Det har varit alldeles för länge," (Nuana! It is so good to see you, little one! It has been far too long.) Jesper greeted her in Swedish, his native tongue and the language he preferred to speak whenever he got the chance.

"Jesper," Nuana smiled, bowing her head to him in respect. "Det är bra att se dig också. Men du bör inte kalla mig 'lilla' när du inte är mycket äldre än jag själv," (It is good to see you as well. But you should not call me 'little one' when you are not that much older than myself.)

"Något du älskar att påpeka. Det är inte mitt fel att Norn håller dig så ung," (Something you just love to point out. It is not my fault that the Norn keeps you so young.) Jesper sighed before taking her arm and leading her to the back room where he kept all of his treasures. "Varför är du här, Nuana? Säkert Norn inte har sänt dig för att börja spela för pengar," (Why are you here, Nuana? Surely the Norn hasn't sent you to start gambling for money.)

"Nej, det Norn absolut inte behöver någon mer pengar," (No, the Norn most definitely does not need any more funds.) she told him, her eyes turning from his as she looked around the room. "Men jag har skickats hit för att undersöka ett försvinnande i Mr Meyer fonder. Du känner honom antar jag. Du är affärs rivaler trots allt," (However, I have been sent here to investigate a disappearance in Mr. Meyer's funds. You know him I assume. You are business rivals after all.)

"Hur kom den gamla geezer förlora det? Gjorde han tappar det på sin ålderdom?" (How did the old geezer loose it? Did he misplace it in his old age?)

"Tydligen en kropp hoppare befriade honom hans pengar," (Apparently a body jumper relieved him of his money.) Nuana informed him, watching the Hrimthurs's expression. "Om två tusen dollar," (About two thousand dollars' worth.)

"Hur olyckligt," (How unfortunate.) Jesper muttered, obviously sarcastic.

"Jag trodde det skulle vara din reaktion," (I thought that would be your reaction.) Nuana smiled lightly, moving her eyes around the room as she eyed a unique artifact. "Den Norn skickade mig att ta reda på vem hyrde Hsien. När allt var Norn och Meyer gång mycket nära. Vet du något om det?" (My mata sent me to find out who hired the Hsien. After all, she and Meyer were once very close. Do you know anything about it?)

"Självklart gör jag, men jag var inte den du anställde honom," (Of course I do, but I wasn't the one who hired him.) Jesper admitted to her easily.

"Vem gjorde det?" (Who did?)

Jesper clicked his tongue at her. "Nu, nu, lilla vän. Du vet koderna för verksamheten. När ditt företag rivaler gå ner i lågor, lägger du inte ut dem," (Now, now, little one. You know the codes of business. When your business rival is going down in flames, you don't put them out.)

"Självklart," (Of course.) Nuana nodded, her head down as she headed towards the exit.

"Det hjälper inte din situation som jag vet att du arbetar för mannen," (It does not help your situation that I know you are working for the man.)

Nuana's eyes were wide when she turned to face Jesper who was smirking at her.

"Spela inte mig för en idiot, Nuana. Är dina små succubus och mänskliga vänner ute väntar på något slags signal?" (Do not play me for a fool, Nuana. Are your little succubus and human friends out there waiting for some sort of signal?)

"Jag vet inte vad du talar om, min vän," (I do not know what you are speaking of, my friend.) Nuana could feel the temperature in the room dropping dangerously fast, too fast for it to be caused by anything else but the deceptively calm Fae in front of her. It had her inching towards the door, trying to keep the calm that was coming much more easily to him that to her. "Men jag är säker på Norn kommer bli förkrossad när hon får reda på att hennes favorit Hrimthurs gömmer information frå-" (And I am sure my mother will be devastated when she learns that her favorite Hrimthurs is hiding information fr-)

"Tystnad!" (Silence!)

Nuana froze in place, her eyes wide when she realized that not only the temperature in the room had changed. She could see the changes in Jesper whose height had changed drastically while his glamour began to shimmer off of his body, the shadow of his icy claws almost visible to her. Though Gaian spirits typically only feared fire by instinct, ever instinct in her body was telling her to run at the sight of the ancient power standing before her.

"Du kommer att göra något sådant, lite Nuana," (You will do no such a thing, little Nuana.) he cooed at her, approaching her like a predator to prey, his skin growing pale and his hands icing over threateningly. "Du inte kommer att lämna det här rummet levande," (You will not leave this room alive.)

Nuana gasped in fright, her only thought of defense being to qi bend him into submission instead of running to the exit. As her hands came up to touch him, glowing softly with her power, he snarled at her, grabbed her wrists in an icy vice that kept her hands in place. Pain oozed through her slowly hardening veins and blackening skin as her hands began to freeze all the way down to the bone, leaving her hands useless to her. The Hrimthurs shoved Nuana back without much fight until the backs of her legs connected harshly with a table, knocking her over onto the surface of it. Wasting no time, he stabbed his fingers into her chest near her heart, a satisfied look on his face as her lips turned blue and her body began to freeze, her heart the only thing refusing to grow cold.

Nuana just laid there, drawing into herself to reserve her energy. The most important thing to her right now was not to get him off of her- she knew she had no hope of achieving that- she just had to focus on keeping her heart beating. Without her heart beating, no matter what happened to the rest of her, she wouldn't survive the night. The heart was the most important thing to a Gaian spirit's anatomy and right now Nuana's heart was beginning to slow to a dangerous pace. Her eyes had just drifted shut when the door to Jesper's office suddenly opened.

"Hey, sleaze ball!" The ringing of a metal pipe coming in contact with something hard followed.

The second Jesper was down and out Bo was instantly at Nuana's side. The succubus's eyes wide as she took in the Fae woman's state which seemed more dead than alive. Her skin tinted blue with ice crystals shinning on her clothes while the holes in the Gaian spirit's chest almost made Bo want to vomit. They were empty blackened holes in the woman's chest that didn't look unlike potholes in the middle of the road but much deeper.

"Shit. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead," Bo chanted as she helped Nuana to sit up, the woman's head lulling against Bo's shoulder as her body sagging heavily. "Please don't be dead. Come on, give me a sign. Any sign. Come on, Nuana,"

Nuana lifted her head until the tip of her nose touched Bo's jaw. "Bo…"

"Oh, thank God,"

"Bo…"

Nuana's eyes opened into slits, as her mouth opened, her body glowing with a warm light that she shouldn't have still had. It was then that Bo felt the unfamiliar tug that she induced in other's whenever she fed, feeling the strange stir of energies in her body before it was forced up into her throat. Nuana's head rose with a bit more strength until the energy flowed from Bo and into Nuana, allowing the woman the energy to keep her heart beating.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-bran. I n-n-need Bran-n-n,"

"Honey, I don't know who that is," Bo told her desperately, trying to ignore the odd feeling of just having been fed off of. "You got to give me something else,"

Nuana frowned, her eyes closing again as the sounds of a brawl sounded outside. "Get… m-m-m-me… to… the D-d-d-dal… n-n-n-n-now. Tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-trick-k-k-k-k-k,"

"Anything you say,"

* * *

**Author's Note: Please review. Thank you to everyone who has favorite and is following this story but I would appreciate some reviews too. Any reviews are welcome. Tell me that you loved it, tell me to update, copy and paste your favorite piece of dialogue into the box below. Just review!**


	6. Frost Burned (5-2)

**Chapter 6 – Frost Burned (Deadly Lucky 5.2)**

* * *

Together Bo and Kenzi loaded Nuana into their car as carefully as they could with a popsicle of a woman and two door junker. They turned the unreliable heater on to full blast, wrapped her in their coats as Kenzi snuggled in beside her to try to share body heat. By the time the sped all the way to the Dal, they were dragging in a shivering mess with a tongue covered in bitter sap from when she'd tried to speak and nearly bitten off the tip halfway through the trip across town.

"Yoh! 911 freezer burned Fae over here!"

Dyson and Hale had been enjoying a quiet game of pool in the empty bar when they heard the back doors swing opened followed by stumbling steps. Only when they heard Kenzi did they look up to see what exactly had entered the Dal. Kenzi and Bo looked scared out of their minds, their eyes wide as they held up what looked like a corpse they'd found in a meat locker. However, even as frozen as she was, Dyson could scent Nuana. She was hanging from Kenzi and Bo's shoulders light a life sized rag doll, her head lulling forward as she fought for consciousness.

He was instantly at her side, swinging the Fae woman up into his arms bridle style.

"Bo, what the hell did you do to her?!"

"We were undercover at a backroom poker tournament," Bo explained to him as quickly as possible, the rise of his wolf speeding up her words. "She went in alone-"

"You let her go in _alone_?!" Dyson roared, ignoring the shocked look Bo threw his way. Instead, he turned and stalked over to a cleared off pool table and laid Nuana down.

He knew that he was acting unreasonable but his wolf had never been one for reason when it came to Nuana. The past conversations they'd had about what she was wasn't helping his control either. She'd told him that if her heart being the truly vulnerable part of her biology and if her heart was destroyed then she would be dead. So her blue-purple wrists and frosted over skin weren't what was scaring him and his wolf, it was her blackened chest with ten small holes interrupting the paleness of her skin and the ink of her tattoos.

"It was her idea! She knew the guy and offered to go in first to get information,"

"What was he?" Hale asked.

"No idea,"

"Hale, get Trick," Dyson ordered, his voice barely audible through the growl. "Kenzi, get whiskey. Bo, grab the blanket off the back of that couch," With this said, he turned his attention back to Nuana, not bothering to see if they followed orders. "Nuana. Wake up, Nuana. Come on. You've got to wake up, babe. Open your eyes for me,"

Nuana made no sign that she heard him, her frozen body nearly silent to his ears. The only real signs that she was alive were only susceptible to his wolf hear; the occasional hiss of air passing through her lungs and the painfully slow beating of her heart. Desperately, Dyson took her head into his hands and lifted her towards him, yelling down at her to try to get her attention and wake her up. He had to wake her up, keep her awake until Trick could tell him how to fix her.

Bo arrived with the blanket, tucking it around her while trying to keep her eyes to herself, jumping back as soon as Nuana was covered. Kenzi followed close behind, setting a bottle of whiskey beside Dyson before taking her place beside the succubus.

"Nuana! Come on! _Open your eyes_!"

The Gaian shifted in his hold, groaning tiredly before she settled in his arms again.

"No, no," Dyson crooned, shaking his head as he leaned in closer to her. "Come on, babe. You've got to wake up now,"

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times before her eyes focused on his.

"… -d-dyson?"

"Nuana. You got to tell me who this guy was. What was he?"

Nuana blinked a few more times as her slowed brain tried to process what he'd said before she tried to speak. The first few times she tried was broken off by her chattering teeth, annoyed sounds leaving her throat with each try. By the fourth time she had cut her tongue open again and had the dark amber color of sap coating the tip of her tongue.

"Take your time," he urged her.

She frowned up at him, closing her eyes as her head began to lull back in Dyson's hand. "H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-rrr-r-r-r-r-r-rim-im-im-im-th -th-thurs..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Stay with me, Nuana!" Dyson quickly shook her, making her eyes go wide with shock before darkening with annoyance, thoroughly getting her attention. "You can't sleep now, hun,"

"What's a Rimsurs?" Bo asked.

The Gaian gave Dyson an annoyed look before something began to seep into the hazel-green of her eyes, something primal, something Dyson recognized. Hunger. Nuana's eyes focused on Dyson, her mouth parting as if tasting the air around the wolf shifter, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. Dyson found the action strangely erotic despite the position they were currently in.

"It's a Hrimthurs, a Frost Giant," Dyson explained without taking his eyes off Nuana. "Their touch can stop a man's heart. Dammit, Bo, she could have been killed,"

The scent of qi seemed to be the only thing Nuana was currently perceiving. She needed to feed… her heart was weak and her limbs were aching with starvation. The smell of qi was filling her nose and the taste of it was floating over her tongue, tempting her dangerously. She needed to feed… Her hand came up to rest over his heart as she breathed him in, the scent of his skin and his qi mixing into an almost irresistible flavor.

"I'm-m-m cold," she whispered.

Just then Hale arrived with Trick, the small Fae's eyes as wide as saucers as he took in the frozen woman lying on one of his pool tables. There was certianly an extra bit of surprise by seeing Dyson and Nuana interlocked in such a way while Bo was glaring at them, unaware of the possessiveness she was exuding over Dyson. Trick ignored it and got to the point. "What happened?"

"Hrimthurs,"

Trick cursed under his breath as he approached, getting up on a chair as Dyson pulled away from the Gaian to give him room. Nuana let out a whine of protest, her eyes following the wolf as he left her before latching onto Trick with the same animal hunger. The expression was ignored and quickly removed as soon as Trick's agile fingers touched on the entry wounds scattered across Nuana's chest. It was a feather light touch, but even so, she let out a small cry of pain and arched off the green felt, sagging back against the table unconscious.

"Dammit, Ena," Trick hissed under his breath, only audible to Dyson's hearing.

Trick left for his lair for a minute before returning with a small vial with an amber colored liquid in it. He ordered Dyson to hold Nuana's head back again so that he could empty it into her mouth and like with the whiskey, at first she wouldn't take it but after some coaxing she finally swallowed.

"The Solem potion should ward off the Hrimthurs's effects for now," Trick told them as Nuana skin began to glow and return to its normal coloring, ice melting from her hands. "But it will wear off eventually. She'll need to feed,"

"She can feed from me," Bo volunteered, stepping forward. "It's kind of my fault she got frozen in the first place. I owe her,"

Trick shook his head. "No. She needs more than you can give her without having to turn around and needing to feed yourself,"

"But she's already fed from me and I was fine,"

"That was different, Bo," Dyson told her, looking up at her with eyes that were faintly tinted gold. "If she didn't leave you hungry then it wasn't a serious feed. She probably had enough presence of mind at the time to know that she couldn't take too much from you,"

Bo frowned but conceded to them.

"I've fed her before," Dyson told them. "I'll let her feed from me,"

As the last of the ice evaporated off Nuana's skin she took a deep breath and opened her bright hazel-green eyes. It was as if Jesper had never touched her, the only sign of his attack being the black holes that still marred her chest. As soon as Nuana's eyes opened, she was sitting up, her back stalk straight as she took in her surroundings.

"Dyson? _Bran?!_"

"Shh," Dyson soothed, stepping towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she blinked at him as if she were trying to see him clearly. "Not too fast, hun. You're going to be fine,"

A small shiver wracked her body before she pushed off the blanket still wrapped around her and moved to get up. Dyson stopped her with a hand, keeping her on the table when she would have gotten up and probably collapsed. She frowned at him, her eyes nearly black from how widely her eyes were dilated, the iris of her eyes almost completely gone.

"She's going to be loopy for a bit," Trick explained to them as Nuana swayed, his eyes glued to the dopey eyed look on her face. "You need to hurry, Dyson. She needs to feed before then so that she can dispel the frost completely out of her system or else she'll freeze over again… and we won't be able to bring her back,"

Dyson nodded, refusing to look at Bo's face before he took a hold of Nuana and leaned in. Dyson leaned forward, wrapping an arm around Nuana's waist and placing a hand at the base of her head, using this to bring her toward him, nearly against him. The frown the Gaian gave him and the firm shove as he came closer might have insulted him except he had an idea of what it was in reaction to. They'd been friends for a year now and at the moment he was sort of in the middle of something with Bo who was only a few steps away from them. Nuana was reluctant but even her doped up morals couldn't combat her immense hunger and his willing offer once his lips touched hers.

Nuana's hunger took control as she was surged forward. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, keeping him perfectly in place as she opened her mouth as qi flowed from him. She let loose a breath moan as the taste of him, his qi overwhelmed her, satisfying her body on more levels that just her hunger. His mouth tasted like man and wolf, a hint of alcohol from the beer he'd drank earlier.

As the cold prickling in her bones melted away and the haziness left her mind, she became more aware of his touch, his smell and the sensation of his body against hers. His touch felt like fire against her skin, waking her up and turning her on like a light switch, making her much more anxious as the kiss continued even after she'd gotten her fill.

And that was when she stopped.

Nuana pulled back, falling backwards against the table, her butt meeting the edge of the wood painfully as Dyson followed her. His nose rested on the top of her head, his hot breath warming her hair and tickling her scalp. It was a comfortable position despite the pain in her tailbone, having his weight against her, his warm breath on her as she leaned into him. To her, he was gruff and sturdy as if not even a wave that would crash upon him could move him. He was also strong and handsome, every inch a warrior with a strong heart for those he considered friends. She loved him for that.

His breath huffed a bit harder into her scalp. She knew he was feeling the effects of having so much qi taken from him now that the high of the kiss had left him. Nuana let him rest against her, her face hidden in his chest while a hand ghosted up to pet the back of his neck.

Deep down, even as she took comfort from the closeness and warmth of Dyson, Nuana felt guilty for what she'd done. No matter how desperate she'd been for a feed, Bo and Dyson liked each other too much and Nuana felt like she was playing with something that wasn't hers. No matter what Trick said about not wanting Bo to develop feelings for Dyson, Nuana knew it was too late.

When Dyson did pull away from her, the eyes that met her hazel-green ones were not Dyson's typical pale blue. The whites of his eyes had gone black while his irises shifted to that of his wolf, a golden yellow that looked as if it glowed with a fire that could have licked at her cheeks. They watched her for a long moment before they faded away to a pale blue, looking almost as if age had made the color fade to ice.

Men like Dyson don't like being scared; it made them realize they can't control everything.

"Thank you,"

Dyson bowed his head to her, straightening. "Anytime,"

Bo snorted making the two look over at her, popping the bubble of their reality as they realized they weren't alone. "Well, not _any_ time," the succubus put in awkwardly. "I mean, hopefully you're not going to go around getting frozen,"

Nuana forced her eyes away from Dyson and smiled at Bo. "Hopefully not,"

Trick and Hale were standing to Nuana and Dyson's left, the two of them looking away politely, Hale smirking at a string of lights on the wall. Kenzi was watching Nuana and Dyson with a bit of satisfaction on her face… until she looked over at Bo and the disapproval reappeared. And then there was Bo. Bo looked far less than happy with the occurrence, a possessive look coming over the succubus that Nuana was sure that Bo didn't know she was displaying.

Nuana buried her guilt and turned to Trick.

"Feeling better?"

"Much,"

"Damn," Kenzi breathed, her eyes scanning Nuana's chest as the shifter stepped away from her at the same time the human approached. Where there had once been deep puncture wounds and blackened skin there was now only pale skin with the dark necklace-like tattoo that had been there before. "Dude, you could cure cancer,"

Bo smirked, patting the wolf on the shoulder. "Red Cross ain't got nothing on, Dyson,"

Nuana just snorted at her before her eyes caught on Dyson. His shoulders were sagging and he was using the pool table for support, the weight he was putting on it making it dip. She instantly reached for him, her hand resting on his chest and feeling the dim energy that resided there.

"I took too much," Nuana stated, not having to ask.

"No. It isn't as bad as it looks,"

"Dude, you look kinda green,"

Dyson smirked over at Kenzi. "I'm a quarter leprechaun,"

Nuana rolled her eyes and was about to confront him, hoping the three women could team up on the stubborn shifter when her phone chirped. The sound shocked everyone, no one seeming to expect the completely normal sound after they hell they'd just been through. But Nuana seemed unaffected, answering it without a second thought and then regretting it.

"_What happened_?"

Nuana groaned at the sound of her mata's gruff voice on the other end of the line. She ever saw Dyson, whose hearing allowed for her private call to become a conference call, stiffen at the sound of the uptight Fae elder. So Nuana decided to get right to the point instead of beating around the bush. That only ever served to rile her mata up and Nuana wasn't feeling in the mood.

"Jesper attacked me,"

"_Is he all right, sprout_?"

Nuana frowned, feeling the hurt coiling around her heart deep in her chest. If Nuana had been a younger, foolish girl, she might have been hurt by her Mata's indifference. However, Nuana had been alive for many years and had grown used to her mother's hatred of her. It didn't hurt. At least that was what she'd been telling herself for three thousand years.

"I would not know, _Mata_. The last thing I remember was his claws stabbing into my chest before I began freezing to death,"

"_He would not do it without cause_," she reasoned.

"Mata, why did you call?" Nuana bit into the phone, patience completely gone. "Surely it was not to check on the wellbeing of your daughter. I have never gotten such a luxury,"

"_No_," the Norn agreed easily. "_Nor will you ever if you continue with this attitude, little sprout_,"

Sprout was a name that her Mata had adopted calling her when she realized that Nuana wasn't as keen to do as told as her sisters were. It wouldn't sound like an insult to anyone who heard it, they might even mistake it for a cute pet name, but Nuna knew what it really meant. Her mata was telling Nuana that she was a growth in her side, something that had sprouted there and could not be removed or gotten rid of. Nuana was a nuisance not a daughter. Every time the Norn wanted it made clear that she disapproved of Nuana or that she wasn't her favorite, she called her 'little sprout.'

"_I called to hear of your ignorance and to see if there was need to send your siblings to clean up your mess. It appears Bran will need to be sent to the warehouse district to deliver an apology_,"

Nuana raised an eyebrow. "You never apologize. In fact, you rarely care about anyone but yourself. Why the change of tactics?"

"_Allowances must be made for old friends and idiot sprouts_,"

Nuana growled, something she'd never done in her life. The action seemed to amuse the men in the room while Bo just stared in shock and Kenzi laughed.

"_What was that_?"

"Nothing, Mata," Nuana breathed, trying to calm herself as Dyson's qi drove instincts to the surface that she didn't normally have. "Please except my humblest apologies for my idiocy, Mata. Also send my best to Jesper and tell him that I will be by to wish him well,"

Kenzi made a cutting and stabbing motion.

"_Of course you will_," the Norn breathed. "_I will be seeing you later this week_,"

Though it wasn't a question, Nuana answered. "As you wish,"

The line went dead and Nuana cursed into her phone in every language she knew until she slammed the poor piece of technology into the surface of the pool table.

"Whoa, girl! Anger issues much?" Kenzi exclaimed, holding one hand up as she gently confiscated Nuana's phone with her other. "Don't hurt the poor phone. Who the hell was that anyway? Your mother? Bitchy boss with weird timing?"

"She is my mata, my mother. No one you want to meet," Nuana explained before taking a deep breath and looking over at Bo. "So what is the plan? Someone who works for Meyer tipped off Jesper. He knew you two were coming,"

"Well, Kenzi and I are-"

Bo was cut off as another phone began to ringing.

Dyson reached into his pocket, answering it tiredly as he leaned against the pool table. "Dyson… Eddie- Eddie, calm down, man. Who's there? … Eddie?" Dyson pulled his phone away to look down at it before looking up at Nuana. "It went dead. Morgue?"

Nuana nodded, following Dyson out of the Dal without another word.

"That's alright," Bo called after them. "Kenzi and I will go after Meyer's snitch. Yeah, you guys go. We've got this," Bo gave an annoyed sigh as she turned to Kenzi. "Any idea where we're headed?"

Kenzi nodded with a mischievous smile on her face. "Yeah, I got one,"


	7. Body of Evidence (5-3)

**Chapter 7 – Body of Evidence (Deadly Lucky 5.3)**

* * *

Nuana and Dyson moved down the tiled halls of the morgue as quietly as they could manage. The Gaian stayed on the balls of her feet while Dyson's smooth gait remained undetectable despite his heavy boots. The two had arrived to find the morgue deathly silent. Nuana ignored the irony of the statement as shivers ran up her spin that had nothing to do with her previous experience with being frozen. The morgue, though it was always full of death, had an air of sadness to it that it hadn't when she'd visited with Dyson and Bo this morning. Something was very wrong.

Nuana made sure to keep pace with a slowing wolf shifter, watching him closely out of the corner of her eye. Shifters, more specifically shifters whose alter ego was a predator, did _not_ show weakness. Shifters hid their wounds from potential threats and hid them from those who would worry. Shifters needed to know they could protect those around them. These were instincts that Nuana couldn't understand the same way men and women couldn't understand each other sometimes. So the fact that he was breathing so hard and moving with such sluggishness told her that she'd greatly depleted him if he was having this much trouble hiding it. The guilt hit her in the stomach and had her stopping him when he rested a hand on the tiled wall for support and leverage to start moving again. She wasn't going to let him continue like this, especially if there was a potential threat in the next room just waiting to ambush them.

"Alright, Dyson, that is enough. I cannot watch you continue on like this," Nuana sighed, stepping in front of him. "Stop before you hurt yourself,"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Dyson took a deep breath before pushing off the wall, refusing to meet her eyes as he lied to her. "You took what you had to,"

Nuana glared at the shifter before grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and forcing him against a wall. If she hadn't had the advantage of surprise, she'd never have been able to do it but now that she had him backed up against a wall, she was determined to keep him there.

"You are an idiot," Nuana growled at him in a voice that was not unlike a predator, her eyes narrowing at the amusement in his pale blue eyes. "I have made you weak, shifter. You know that better than I and any predator will be able to see it. Let me give some back,"

"Nuana-"

"Just shut up,"

She leaned in and kissed him, silencing his words as her lips moved over his. She smiled against his lips when he started to react, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her against him. The possessive move awoke something in her that had her liking it, despite how wrong it was for them to be doing this with each other. It had only been a few weeks ago that they'd slept together and had a falling out that nearly ended their relationship but now they were kissing in a morgue while Dyson was unofficially dating the succubus foundling… The irony was going to kill them one day but for right now Nuana merely kissed Dyson, her hands skating up his torso and under his jacket to shift around his qi. His mouth opened the same time hers did, allowing her to force feed him qi that she could feel fill the places that had left him feeling so weak not a moment ago. By the time she was finished, his energies were back in check and she could almost feel the peace in him that spawned from him returning strength.

But they didn't stop kissing.

Dyson's mind was lost in the haze of Nuana, his wolf unwilling to let her go even though she'd done what she had been meaning to do for them. His arms were like a vice around her body, hands clutching her sides as her body arched into him, a mewl leaving her lips. Despite the fact that she was nearly all muscle, she was still soft against him, not soft and impossibly curved as he was used to, nor was she aggressive. She let him lead her, offering up the dominant role to him. It was different from Bo and he enjoyed it more that he was willing to admit.

But it had to end at some point. Their lips left each other and as soon as their gasps of breath hit their ears, the illusion ended. The world hung around them, telling them that it couldn't happen, that there was a Hsien in the next room that needed them, that there was a succubus that needed them.

"Dyson…"

The both knew it. They couldn't do this unless they were willing to suffer the consequences. Bo couldn't handle loosing Dyson right now, even if they weren't willing to admit that Trick was partially right; Bo wouldn't chose Dark but she might lose her carefully crafted control. He had been the first stable thing in Bo's life and they couldn't take him away from her… The wolf shifter and the Gaian also weren't willing to take it any farther. They weren't willing to have the discussion that they needed to have before going that far. And they couldn't risk losing their friendship to follow something that might work… they were too important to each other.

Dyson sighed, leaning forward until his lips touched her forehead. He closed his eyes and let out a breath that ruffled her hair.

Nuana shivered and leaned into him heavily, wanting to stay there forever. But she couldn't only lock this moment into her memory. This wasn't meant for her. This was a moment stolen from Bo, a friend who looked to her for help… who trusted her. She couldn't play with what wasn't hers, even if she wanted it more than anything.

"Let's go,"

Nuana stepped away from Dyson and waited for him to straighten from the wall and walk ahead. The moment was over and now they needed to focus on the dangers in the next room.

"Eddie?" Nuana called as she entered the morgue, looking around at the tables full of bodies, none hiding a frightened body jumper. "Eddie?"

She approached the freezer carefully, scared half to death when Eddie came flying out of it, stopping in front of her with an easy smile.

"Dyson! What up, brother?" Eddie looked at Nuana with a mischievous smile. "Hello,"

"Are you alright?"

"Never better. So… what up?"

"You called me," Dyson told him, looking around the room suspiciously. "Sounded like you were going to soil yourself. You said '_he's here'_,"

"Yeah, he was," Eddie nodded, scratching his eyebrow.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah, my fellow Hsien. He wanted to know if I've been talking to that succubus," Eddie laughed and smiled over at Nuana. "He really doesn't like you sniffing in his business,"

Nuana raised an eyebrow, looking over at Dyson as ther wolf shifter gave Eddie a suspicious look. If the odd feeling they were both getting wasn't warning them that something was wrong, having Eddie, who'd met Bo, talking to Nuana as if she were her, made warning bells go off.

"But that's okay, I scared him off,"

"You did?" Dyson asked, walking into the fridge, sniffing at the air.

"I do not believe you," Nuana said outright, her eyes on the man who appeared to be Eddie but all three knew he wasn't. "Eddie's not here anymore, is he?"

Lucas grinned darkly. "No,"

Before either Dyson or Nuana could do anything, Lucas moved. He slammed the door of the freezer on Dyson, locking the wolf shifter inside and eliminating the biggest threat. Nuana surged forward to act but was met with a gurney to the stomach, knocking her on her butt as Lucas ducked through the tables of dead bodies to escape. The Gaian got to her feet with a grunt and grabbed at the door, meeting resistance. She tried to unlock the door but it was a thick metal door with a mechanical lock, nothing she could break without the code.

Nuana's eyes met Dyson's through the small square of glass that separated them. They both knew there was no way of getting the door open before Lucas could escape. Dyson may have hated it but he wasn't going to be able to keep Nuana safe from this Fae.

"Go! I got this,"

With a groan, Nuana turned away from Dyson reluctantly and left him to follow after Lucas. The silence besides Dyson's desperate fight against the door had Nuana on edge. She crept through the maze of gurneys, her eyes watching for any slight movements that might tell her where Lucas might be hiding. But after twenty seconds of nothing, she was feeling very on edge.

"_Oh where, of where has my killer Hsien gone? Oh where, oh where can he be_?"

That was when she found Eddie's dead body on the ground and clearly not where Lucas was anymore. But she didn't have to wait long to find out who his new body was. Cold arms wrapped around her neck, trying to cut off her air supply. Nuana jabbed and elbow into the body jumper's stomach and threw him back into the nearest wall desperately. The arms loosened and Nuana slipped away, grabbing his wrist and flipping him around as she brought his arm up as high as it could go before dislocating his shoulder.

"Is this the best you have, Hsien?" Nuana hissed into his ear.

"Oh, I'm just warming up,"

Lucas employed the same move she had, jabbing his elbow into her stomach, causing her to let him go as she doubled over. When she looked up she could see Lucas traveling from body to body all the way down the row until the very last one jumped up off the table. Nuana's eyes were wide as she looked at the body that Lucas had chosen; a tall, tough, muscular, over grown ogre of a man. Nuana had no hope at all of even surviving thirty second with this man, let alone keeping him occupied for Dyson to arrive and save her.

Lucas cracked his neck and turned with a wicked grin. "Let's dance,"

Nuana held up her hands in surrender. "No, thank you,"

This only made Lucas's grin grow wider as he stalked toward her, only coming to a stop when Nuana pulled an empty gurney between them.

"When you're dead, I'm going to wear your corpse like a coat and rip Dyson to itty bitty pieces, using _your_ hands,"

Lucas shoved the gurney towards her, knocking her into a counter and pinning her. He then grabbed her by the neck, cutting off her oxygen as he yanked her up and over the gurney like a rag doll. She was sure that if she were human the pressure he was applying would have snapped her neck, the pain intense as her neck popped dangerously. Nuana let out a surprised croak as her back hit the cold metal of the gurney, her hands trying desperately to pull Lucas's away from her throat.

For the second time that day, she was on her back and at the mercy of a Fae that was about to kill her… and in turn, for the second time that day, she was saved by a friend.

Dyson suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his gun pressing into the side of Lucas's head.

"No more bodies within reach," Dyson growled, his wolf in his eyes. "I pull this trigger and you are as dead as the one you are in,"

Reluctantly Lucas let go of Nuana's throat, warranting a loud gasp of air as she sat up and scooted as far away from the body jumper as possible. She didn't need to though, Dyson shoving Lucas as far away from her as he dared, placing himself between the two. Nuana placed a hand on the small of Dyson's back, tugging on the edge of his jacket.

"Thank you,"

Dyson nodded, not taking his eyes off Lucas, his wolf urging him to end the Hsien before he could hurt Nuana again. He ignored this urge though, knowing that Bo and Nuana would be angry with him for losing their lead. So instead he ordered Lucas to sit, interrogating him until he got what he wanted from him.

"He forced me into Rogers' corpse," Lucas suddenly began, desperate to get the words out as fast as he could. "He fixed the bet at Meyer's and said if I didn't trick that old bookie I wouldn't get my body back,"

"Who is _he_?"

"Seymour,"

Nuana's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Meyer's nephew?"

"Wanted to get back at his old man," Lucas shrugged. "Can I go now?"

"No," Nuana spat, her eyes angry. "We are taking you to Meyer so that you can explain yourself and get your body back. Then you can be punished for killing one of the Light," Nuana looked up at Dyson and began to speak before he could contradict her. "Please. I have no hope of keeping him if I go alone. And Meyer is a personal friend of mine. He will not talk,"

Without much else needed to be said, Dyson nodded.

Before long, Nuana, Dyson and Lucas entered Meyer's restaurant, recently having called Bo and Kenzi to tell them they had found the body jumper they had been looking for. They had agreed to meet them down there after the finished up with something and to go ahead without them. The three Fae were greeted at the door by Meyer himself who was happy to see Nuana but not the others.

"This is Lucas, your body jumper," Nuana explained as she came to a stop in front of him. "Will you let us in?"

"You, yes. Him, no,"

Nuana rolled her eyes at the bookie. "Why? It is not as if he is going to learn some huge Dark Fae secret in the next five minutes. He is here to help me. You can trust him," When both men didn't seem to back down, Nuana's eyes rolled again. "If you both stay quiet no one will ever know you were within five miles of each other,"

The first one to crack was Meyer, who reluctantly held out his hand to Dyson. "On your blood honor?"

Dyson looked over at Nuana before sighing and shaking hands with Meyer.

Nuana gave a soft chuckle. "Bad peace is better than good war,"

"And who taught you that?" Meyer asked.

"You did," Nuana admitted easily before leading Dyson and Lucas over to the table that Seymour was sitting at. He looked up as if he were confused as to why a man with a bullet wound to the head was standing in front of him with a Light Fae cop and a Gaian spirit. However, Dyson could smell his fear and Nuana could sense his anxiety. "Do you not you recognize your own man, Seymour?"

"You?" Meyer asked, looking as if he couldn't believe his ears. "It can't be. My sister's only son? My own flesh and blood? I taught you everything but common sense! Three hundred years, you finally grow a backbone and you can only use it to usurp your own uncle!"

Seymour stood up, frowning. "All I wanted was some respect,"

"Respect?" Meyer laughed bitterly. "You're dead to me,"

"I guess I'll go collect the _body_ of evidence," Dyson smiled up at Nuana, about ready to lead Lucas out of the restaurant.

"No need," Everyone turned to see Bo and Kenzi dragging in a limp body which they then tossed onto the ground, making Lucas wince. Bo just smirked and turned to Meyer. "So… Seymour, huh? What are you going to do with him?"

"Put him somewhere safe," Meyer shrugged as he poured himself a cup of tea. "You're more familiar with the Light. My side, we don't believe in mercy,"

"Which is why I will never join you," Nuana smiled, leaning down to kiss the man on the cheek fondly. "It was good seeing you again, Meyer,"

"Don't be such a stranger,"

"I promise," Nuana smiled, tugging on Dyson's jacket. "Could you drive me back to the Dal?"

"Of course," Dyson nodded before he turned to Bo, who was watching them. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nope," Bo shook her head. "You go. I've got this,"

Dyson nodded. "Alright. See you later?"

Bo nodded, watching Dyson leave with Nuana.

Bo really liked Nuana but she hated the overwhelming urged to hate her for being so close with Dyson, especially after this afternoon and that kiss they shared on that pool table. Granted, Bo had owed her some healing after getting Nuana nearly frozen to death but Bo hated that it had to come from Dyson. Not to mention that it was obvious the two liked each other. Bo didn't like admitting it to herself but she could see both of their aura's warm when they were near each other, the same way Dyson's warmed when he was near Bo except it was much brighter with the Gaian. However, she couldn't think about it right now. She had a debt to be paid to her by way of a lollipop sucking Oracle.

Later than night, at the Dal, Dyson sat a beer down in front of Nuana, pulling her from her thoughts as she looked up at him. She slid the bottle toward her and took a long sip, scrunching her nose at the bitter taste that rolled over her tongue.

"I thought you might need something stronger than chamomile,"

Nuana snorted unceremoniously. "You thought right,"

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I nearly died twice today," she sighed, taking another but much longer sip before looking over at him. "I am also feeling very grateful to a certain wolf shifter for saving me both times,"

"We need to stop making this a regular thing,"

"I will stop when you stop saving me,"

Dyson chuckled at her, taking a long drag from his own beer. "If I do that you won't be around,"

"I will be less likely to fall if you are not there to catch me,"

He shook his head. "That's where we have a problem. I'll always be there to catch you,"

Her face softened as she looked over at him. "Really?"

"Really," Dyson put down his beer and gave her a serious look. "Not enough people worry about you, Nuana. Someone has to,"

She ducked her head and smiled. "I love you, you dopey wolf,"

"I love you, too, stubborn woman," Dyson then smiled back at her, raising his bottle in a ceremonial fashion. "To catching each other when we fall,"

"To catching each other when we fall,"

* * *

**Author's Note: What did you think about the kiss?**


	8. Food for Thought

**Chapter 8 – Food for Thought**

* * *

Nuana pulled up to the Norn's home, turning off the ignition with a grunt before settling back into her seat with a sigh. She'd just driven three hours in search of a Loki who owed her Mata his most prized creation and it had taken her hours to get past all of his tricks and traps to finally pry it from the Fae's hand. She looked and felt horrible. Not only had getting the damn thing been grueling but every time Nuana went out on an errand for her Mata she felt drained. It was painful for a creature that was supposed to help and heal people to go around hurting them for the Norn.

The curtain in the front room parted and a head stuck out to look at her. After a moment Leah disappeared back inside again, probably to inform their Mata that Nuana was back.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you," Nuana muttered, a bit to herself and a bit to her Mata.

She left her car for the safety of the house that held her birth tree, the Norn's tree. This was where Nuana's true home was and what her heart called to. The old tree surged up out of the hardwood floors and through the roof of the home, hidden by glamour so that humans and Fae couldn't see the canopy of leaves and branches that fanned out many meters above their heads. Sitting beside it was an older woman with white blonde hair and a cane, wearing various articles of green clothing. This was Nuana's Naneth. The Norn. Her mother.

"What is taken you so long, little sprout?" the Norn bit out as she placed her hand on her tree to steady herself as she walked passed it. "Where is my boon I sent you for?"

"Here," Nuana sighed, pulling the device from her pocket.

Her Mata took the fountain pen from her and eyed it carefully. After a moment she grinned devilishly, a rusty laugh leaving her throat as she took it into her store room to be placed among all of her other trinkets.

Also in the room sat Maia, Reva, Leah, Thea, and Mason, spread out between the couch and various spots on the floor near the tree. Bran wasn't anywhere to be seen, meaning he was either at his own home with little Evelyn or away on an errand like Nuana had been.

Leah and Thea smiled at her.

Nuana sometimes wished she could be like her elder and younger sisters. She'd never been as loyal to her Mata as they had always been, doing everything they were told without a thought. Nuana always questioned and fought her Mata on various things that made her Mata look as if she were going to sprout something out her ears. Nuana wished that she could be as sweet, caring, compassionate, typical and loved as they were… but then she remembered that they were forced to live at home, always at their Mata's beck and call. Nuana- like Maia, Bran and Reva- had a bit of freedom in living away from the Norn and her tree. That's when she was thankful to be herself.

But the reason she lived away from home was probably because her Mata disliked her.

"What has kept you?"

"The Loki was not keen on giving it up, Mata,"

"But it is mine. We agreed,"

Nuana rolled her eyes behind her Mata's back. "I know, Mata,"

"Do _not_ mumble,"

Nuana rolled her eyes again, eliciting a giggle from Leah and Thea.

A chirp resounded from Nuana's pocket, making her jump before she realized what it was whining at her. Reaching into her pocket, she plucked out her phone and glanced down at the caller ID.

Bo.

"You know I hate it when you bring technology into my presence," the Norn hissed at her. "It is positively polluting,"

"I know, Mata," Nuana sighed. "I only have it so that you can get ahold of me when I am needed,"

"It does not matter. I have no real need of you most of the time anyway,"

Nuana let this pass despite how cruel her Mata was being to her. Nuana was used to this now since she had been hearing it for over two and a half thousand years. It was just simpler to let the comments pass without much fight, it made them both happier.

Her sisters waved as Nuana turned and left, answering her phone as she shut the door firmly behind her and headed to her car.

"This is Nuana,"

"_It's Bo. I need your help_,"

Bo immediately went to work on explaining the situation to Nuana; the Aswang, the foot soup, Kenzi, bleeding from the eyes, hemorrhagic fevers, the foot guy, the guy tossing the foot guy's apartment. By the time Bo was finished she could hear Nuana cursing.

"_Dyson told me that you have helped heal Fae for the Ash before. Can you please come in and see if you could do anything for Kenzi_?"

"Of course,"

"_Do you have any idea what this is_?"

"I have an inkling but I will have to see when I get to here. Where are you?"

"_Kenzi is at the Ash's compound and Helima is going to be brought there probably by the end of the day. Can you go straight there_?"

"Yes,"

"_Thank you_," Bo sighed. "_I've got to go_,"

"Alright. See you soon, Bo,"

At the Ash's compound, Kenzi had been placed completely under the Light Fae's care, hooked up to various monitors and currently under treatment. Despite this, Kenzi didn't seem to be doing any better than when she arrived, if anything the environment seemed to be making her worse. Bo had returned and explained to Kenzi what she and Dyson had found while out and about. They knew who the man was that had been ransacking the foot man's home and had learned that he'd been paid by someone from Bayern Chemicals.

"What can I do?" Kenzi asked weakly from her hospital bed, her eyes red and drooping.

"You can rest," Bo smiled sweetly down at her best friend as she got up and went to talk to Lauren. "I can handle this one solo. Just hang in there until I get back,"

Kenzi's eyes followed her until they landed on Dyson, who stood nearby. He looked just as stoic as usual, his long limbs crossed in front of him and his face set in a neutral frown. The looked of him made her better though, as if anything that was going to barge in would have to come face first with the wolf shifter's massive chest. Too bad it was foot soup that was kicking her butt instead of something Dyson could chew on.

"You'll stay with me, though, right?"

"You bet. I'm not going anywhere,"

"Promise?" Kenzi asked, holding up her pinkie.

Dyson linked his oversized pinkie with hers, giving her an easy smile. "Promise,"

"Good," Kenzi sighed in approval, settling back into her uncomfortable hospital bed. "I'm not scared or anything. I'm just bored and you amuse me,"

"Well, you'll be able to be amused by Nuana soon, too. Bo called her. She'll be here any minute to see what's wrong,"

Kenzi smiled. "I never knew that everyone was at my beck and call,"

Dyson couldn't help but snort in amusement at the human. He sat with her until fatigue finally overwhelmed her, her big grey eyes slowly falling closed until her breathing evened out. Dyson let her be, walking over to Bo and Lauren who were trying to figure out what their next step was.

"Whatever is killing Kenzi is somewhere in Bayern Chemicals. I'm breaking in and I need you to come with me. I don't even know what I'm looking for,"

"It's too dangerous. And besides, I work for the Ash, I just can't go pursue things unapproved,"

"This thing kills Fae, Lauren," Dyson interrupted. "He'll want this thing dealt with which puts this in the Ash's best interest,"

Lauren went off to talk to the Ash about allowing her to accompany Bo into Bayern Chemicals, leaving Bo and Dyson alone just. Before either could say anything, the door to the infirmary whooshed open, revealing a ruffled looking Nuana, eyes worried as she searched the room for Kenzi.

"Where is your Kenzi?"

"This way," Bo led her to the back of the room when Kenzi was just waking up from the noise, not completely lucid as she spotted Nuana smiling down at her.

"What have you done to yourself?" Nuana murmured, her eyes moving over the human's weak body, her hands hovering over her.

"I ate foot soup,"

Nuana chuckled. "Serves you right for eating others' food. Let me take a look at you,"

Nuana placed her hands on Kenzi, one hand over her forehead and the other between her breasts, just below her heart. Nuana's eyes slowly closed as she focused on Kenzi's energy, looking for what was making the human so ill. She sensed the darkness easily, the poison clouding Kenzi's body, but she couldn't tell what it was at first. It only hit her when she felt the Fae venom seeping through the connection Nuana had with Kenzi, the sting of the basilisk venom hissing against the Gaian spirit's fingertips. Nuana jerked back with a gasp, shocking Bo and Dyson as she shook out her hands.

"Basilisk," Nuana said instantly, almost breathless with surprise. "She's been infected with basilisk venom,"

"Are you sure?"

Nuana nodded.

"Can you heal her?"

Nuana's instincts told her to say yes and try to heal Kenzi until Nuana's body was just as infected with the venom as Kenzi's was. The truth was that Nuana wouldn't be able to heal Kenzi fully, but she'd be able to hold off the venom for a day or so before it killed the human. If Kenzi were Fae Nuana would be able to hold the venom off for longer and relieve her of some of her pain, but Kenzi was weak and her body was much weaker.

"No," Nuana sighed. "Not completely and not without killing myself in the process,"

Just then Lauren returned, a paper in her hands. "The Ash agrees with your plan to go undercover into Bayern Chemicals and has allowed me to join you. And we're in luck; Bayern Chemicals has been cited for processing errors in its and it's struggling to calm stockholder jitters. They're bringing in outside quality control inspectors. I can pose as this one," Lauren informed the two before holding up the paper with a picture of a blond scientist on it that looked not unlike Lauren. Lauren then looked up at Dyson. "She's flying into town tonight. Do you think you can detain her?"

"We've got someone placed in customs who owes me a favor," Dyson took the paper and eyed it carefully. "He could possibly hold her for 24 hours. Let me check… Call me when Kenzi wakes up," Bo nodded and Dyson left.

"What do I do?"

Lauren smiled. "Well, Bayern's Chief of Operations so legendary horn dog, so…" Bo gave her a knowing smile at those words. "He's had a revolving door of assistance over this past year. I'm sure you can convince them to take you on… so to speak,"

In the meantime, Nuana pulled up a chair next to Kenzi's side. She laid her hands on the human and began work on slowing down the venom. As she had told Bo, Dyson and Lauren before, she couldn't heal Kenzi, but she knew that the venom could be held off. At first the venom did as it had before, creeping up on Nuana slowly and trying to sneak its way through Nuana's bond with Kenzi, but Nuana held it off. By the time Nuana was finished, the venom was almost stagnant in Kenzi's veins, slowed to a near stop from deteriorating anymore of Kenzi's body. Thoroughly exhausted, Nuana relaxed into her seat, reluctantly falling asleep.

When Nuana woke up again it was when Helima was being wheeled in, the blaring of the heart monitors and alarms startling her awake. Nuana was up and running to the Aswang's side, ignoring the Fae nurses yelling at her to move out of their way.

"She's unresponsive! Her AP is dropping. We're losing her!"

"No. No, please! Somebody help her!"

"Move! I can help!"

"Get her out of here,"

"I am the Gaian spirit! I was petitioned by the Ash to be here,"

They split like the Red Sea, allowing Nuana through to Helima. The second her hands touched Helima's skin and she tasted her qi, Nuana knew that she was too late. The most Nuana would be able to do for Helima was hold off the venom for a few hours and it wouldn't do Helima any good. Instead, she relieved Helima of her pain, allowing the Aswang to fall into death easily instead of the pained state that the venom had put her in. Helima sighed as her body relaxed against the gurney, her qi leaving her body in a calm and peaceful wave.

The silence settled as the long beep told the others what Nuana already knew. Helima was dead.

As Helima's body was wheeled away, Nuana's eyes moved to Kenzi, whose large grey eyes were staring at her desperately. Kenzi was huddled on her bed, her skimpy blankets clutched in her tiny fists as she shook, her face streaked with blood mixed with tears.

It was then that Nuana knew that she could not fail Kenzi. For all of Kenzi's quips and jokes, she wasn't as tough as she made herself out to be all the time. Kenzi needed Nuana right now, she needed Nuana to help keep her safe and alive until Bo and Lauren could return with the antidote.

Nuana would do that.

"You didn't save her," Kenzi mumbled as Nuana approached her.

"No,"

"She's dead,"

"Yes,"

Kenzi's eyes filled with pink tears but she didn't allow them to spill over her eyelips. "Then how do you expect to save me?"

Nuana sighed, walking over and sitting down beside Kenzi, wrapping a comforting arm around her and placing Kenzi's head against her shoulder. "I could not save Helima because I was not able to get to her in time. You might be human but I am here and I am going to heal you as best I can until Bo and Lauren come back with the antidote. Do you understand?" Kenzi sniffled weakly but nodded. "I promise that I will not let anything happen to you, Kenzi. I am going to be with you until this is over,"

"Promise?" Kenzi asked, holding out a pinkie.

Nuana smiled down at it and linked her own pinkie with Kenzi's. "On my honor,"

Kenzi gave a contented sigh and settled into Nuana. "Good… but can we leave? I can't stand it here. It's way too coo coo's nest. I'd rather die in a ditch,"

"Kenzi, you are not gonna die," Nuana told her firmly, forcing Kenzi to sit up and look at her as she told her the next part. "Do you think I would let you die? I may be Fae but I care for humans and of them I care for those I consider my friends the most. You will _not_ die,"

Kenzi seemed to except this with a weak smile. "So we aren't leaving?"

Nuana rolled her eyes in amusement. "I think I have somewhere safe we can go,"

An hour later, Nuana and Kenzi were both gone and Dyson was trying to figure out how the head nurse had allowed his only patient to go missing. It didn't matter though. After telling the Fae nurse to keep quiet about what happened, Dyson followed his nose out to the parking lot to an empty parking space where he assumed Nuana's car had been. He quickly dug his phone out of his apartment and hit the speed dial for Nuana.

"_Hello, Dyson. How are you today? Good I would hope_,"

"Where the hell are you?" Dyson bit at her harshly.

"_Nice to hear from you too_," Nuana said sarcastically. "_I am at home_,"

"Is Kenzi with you?"

"_As a matter of fact, she is. Would you like to speak with her?_"

"_Hi, D-man!_"

Dyson rolled his eyes, stalking towards his car with a purpose. "You can't just walk out of the Ash's compound with an ill patient, Nuana,"

"_She would have left on her own if I had not, Dyson. She is better off with me anyway_,"

Dyson sighed, silently conceding the point. "The Ash won't be happy with you,"

"_If it makes you feel better, you can come visit us_,"

After a long drive, he finally arrived at her house. It might have been an impossibly longer drive if Dyson hadn't already visited Nuana's house before. The mansion sized house was found off a side road that was off the highway that was headed out of town, even harder to find because of a mile long driveway and having been hidden beneath trees and foliage that had been there for years. The house itself looked like a mansion from the seventeen hundred that had somehow remained standing for all this time, every shutter and rail perfectly preserved beneath the canopy of leaves and vines.

Dyson walked in through the front door, not surprised to find it unlocked. He looked around and found that everything looked just the same as it had been when he'd been there last. Orderly, clean and welcoming.

"We are upstairs, Dyson!"

He looked up the stairs to where the sound of Nuana's voice and Kenzi's labored breaths were coming from. He could still remember stumbling up the stairs with Nuana in his arms, her body pressed tightly against his as he tried to make it up the stairs with her. But this time, as he ascended the stairs, he didn't turn right towards the direction he knew Nuana's bedroom to be, instead he turned to the left and down the hall. He entered the room the two women were in to find Kenzi sitting in the center of a large canopy bed wearing an oversized shirt that said '_Team Jacob_'. She was looking much better than she had when Dyson had last seen her at the Ash's compound, pillows stuffed behind her like her own makeshift nest. Nuana, on the other hand, looked worse than the last time he'd seen her. Her face was flushed red from whatever strain she'd been putting herself under to make the human better, a sheen of sweat on her brow as she sat comfortably in her chair next to Kenzi's bed.

"Hey, D-man. Where you been? You promised you wouldn't leave,"

"I'm sorry about that," Dyson told her, his eyes lowering guiltily as he entered the room. If he'd been in wolf form, his tail would have been tucked up between his legs. "Bo needed help. I came back as soon as I could,"

Kenzi reached a hand out toward him, grabbing his large hand in her little one and pulling him towards her. When he was close enough to the bed for her liking, she let him go and snuggled back into her pillows. "Stay with me this time? Unless you have somewhere to be…"

"No, I'm good,"

Kenzi sighed up at the shifter happily, her eyes drooping tiredly. "It's not just for me you know. I think Nuana could use a rest. She's doing such a good job taking care of me that now she's getting sympathy pains,"

Nuana rolled her eyes. "Rest, human,"

"Yes, _Mom_,"

Both Dyson and Nuana chuckled at the girl as she snuggled down into her pillows and easily fell into a deep asleep laced with soft snores. With the human asleep, Nuana and Dyson headed downstairs as quietly as possible, ending up in the living room.

"Thank you for coming,"

"You know, they're going to be expecting her back at the lab,"

"And the Ash could come after you for insubordination if he finds out that you knew where Kenzi was all this time," Nuana threw back, her eyes challenging. "Are you going to take Kenzi back?"

Dyson sighed. "You know I don't always take my orders from the Ash,"

"True but he is not supposed to know that," Nuana murmured before smiling at his obvious answer. "Thank you,"

"How is she?"

"Better," Nuana smiled as she looked in the direction of the stairs. "I think taking her from the Ash's compound has helped her mood. I have also been healing her bit by bit, trying to slow the progression of the venom as well as I can. But I has been slow and she will need Lauren's antidote eventually. I am buying her time but it is not permanent,"

"And how are _you_ doing?"

"I am fine," she told him, shaking her head as if to clear it as she sat down on the couch. "You do not have to worry about me,"

"Then who _is_ going to worry about you?" Dyson argued to her. "You look exhausted,"

"It does not matter,"

"You're going to make yourself sick,"

"My kind does not get sick,"

"Well they will if you don't rest. What exactly have you been doing?"

Nuana let out a long breath. "Mata has been keeping all of us busy lately," she admitted to him, dragging a hand across her face as she let out a breath of air. "And then with little Evelyn, the Ash's cases and my involvement in Bo's adventures, I have not been getting much sleep for the past week. And now Kenzi is fading…"

"You need to take a break,"

Angry eyes looked up at him from her face, nearly knocking him back a step in surprise. "And when should I take this break, Dyson?" she snapped up at him. "I have got so much shit going on that I cannot even remember to eat most days let alone take a break. I have got Mata calling me up at all hours asking me to deal with an ogre that owes her and then then to pick up fountain pens from angry Lokis. Then there is the Ash who wants me to come in so often!" Nuana looked as if she were ready to spit. "I know he does it for personal reasons and I cannot handle Azil right now!"

She was suddenly on her feet, pacing across the room angrily.

"Maybe I should just take a nap right now as Kenzi lies dying in the next room? Or maybe the next time Bo needs your help? Maybe I will take a nap in the car when you two are out fighting crime!"

Tears were in her eyes now, her fists shaking in front of her.

"I hate it! I hate being used all the time and no one thinks that maybe I might be breaking! It just hurts to watch everyone with all of their freedom and their lives. You all just get to sit and love and have sex however and whenever you want as if it's something as easy as breathing. I _hate_ that I cannot just breathe. I cannot _breathe_ anymore. The last time I took a real breath was-" Nuana broke off as she realized what she was about to say, her eyes wide as she looked up at Dyson, her mouth open. "… was when I was with you," she finished in a soft voice. "I have not been able to breathe since then… And it hurts _so_ much. I just- I-I-I-I do not-"

Dyson was suddenly holding her, his arms around her thin frame as she shook against him, her breathing turning to hyperventilating gasps. Her body was much too thin despite what her clothes might lead you to think when they gave her curves that were actually just bones. Her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt at his back as she took in a deep breath, her forehead pressed firmly to his collarbone.

"I am sorry," she gasped after a long moment. "I am sorry. I am so sorry,"

"Just take a breath,"

She did as he said but didn't move away from him, just held onto his shirt for dear life, arms wrapped firmly around him.

"I cannot do this, Dyson. I am _so_ tired,"

"I know," he whispered to her, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I know,"

The two held each other for a long time, just standing in the center of Nuana's room. Nuana never wanted to let him go, just wanted to stand there forever in the safety of his arms. It was only when he was around that she felt truly relaxed and at ease; like she could take a breath and he'd catch her if she fell. When he was around, she didn't get lost in her own head nearly as often as when she used to and it felt good. With Dyson… she just didn't care about anything else.

It might have been minutes, it might have been hours, but Nuana eventually let go of him, turning away from him in search of tissues. Nuana felt nervous and jitter as she skittered away from him. Her feelings towards Dyson made her feel like she was an open book or as transparent as glass. It made her uncomfortable under his gaze, especially after having cried on him. "Thank you… I have been feeling really off and… I did not mean to… I mean-"

"It's alright, Nuana,"

Nuana cleaned off her face quickly before handing him a couple of tissues without looking at him, embarrassment coloring her face. "I am sorry… I probably dirtied your shirt,"

He took the tissues from her but didn't use them.

"I need to go to the store," she told him, moving to the kitchen where she picked up her purse and a pile of keys. "I do not have much food here that Kenzi will be able to keep down… Getting some food in her might help,"

"I'll watch her," Dyson assured her.

"I will not be long," Nuana left in a rush, taking the car she rarely drove to leave her home and Dyson behind… but not her feelings.

Dyson stood in her living room for a long moment before he found himself able to move. Seeing the Gaian so vulnerable had affected him. The only time he'd seen her that vulnerable had been when she'd been physically vulnerable when he'd pulled her out of that dog crate a year ago. She always acted so tough and powerful, pretending that nothing could hurt her and most believe it. _He_ believed it. So it had been a shock to see her break down in front of him, her stress breaking her so thoroughly.

He didn't like seeing her that vulnerable.

Dyson walked back into Kenzi's room to find her awake, shivering beneath the overly fluffy comforter that was piled up around her. He eventually found a linen closet down the hall stocked with several fleece blankets and other blankets made from other soft materials. He covered Kenzi with two of them and saved the rest for later, folding them on top of where he knew her feet to be.

"I'm frickin' freezing, dude. Can't you just wolf out and lie on my feet?"

"Maybe later," Dyson smiled down at her before his mind grew serious. "Hey, Bo's going to come through. She always does,"

"Then why do you all look so freaked out, huh? Even Nuana is freaking out when she's always high on life and relaxed," Kenzi challenged, watching as he turned his eyes away from her. "It's not polite to lie to the dying girl, you know. It's bad juju," Kenzi suddenly shot up, coughing and hacking into the top blanket that was piled on top of her, leaving it bloodstained when she laid back down. "Oops,"

"I'm sure Nuana won't mind," Dyson assured her as he forced her to lie back down.

"Look, I need you to promise me something now that I'm lying on my death bed-"

"_Kenzi,_"

"I see more than anyone thinks and that's because nobodies watching me. Everybody's always watching Bo. And I see two things,"

"And what are those?"

"I see you helping Bo even though it hurts you… makes you weak,"

Dyson looked away from her again, suddenly focused on the blankets sitting on her feet instead of looking at her. "And?"

"You weren't as much of a lone wolf as you thought you were. You were taken by a certain Gaian spirit," Kenzi told him, finally getting Dyson to look at her, a hint of gold coloring his irises. "Bo stole you. You were Nuana's before Bo came in with her sexy Fae junk. I can see it when she walks into a room with you and Bo getting friendly with each other, even when you don't have you're sexy on. She's jealous. She wants her wolf man back,"

"We're friends, Kenzi,"

"And I'm Fae," Kenzi snorted. "_She_ may think that you weren't hers to begin with… she may be too much of a good person to fight for you but we both know the truth. We both known that while you're off with another girl Nuana's got this disgusting churning feeling in her gut that occurs when one is rejected by a wolf man.

"Look, what I'm asking is, if I'm not here someday can I count on you to have Bo's back, even if it means cutting her loose?" Kenzi asked seriously. "As great as you've been for my Bo, you deserve more than a few nights and some witty banter in the shower. Bo might love you in bed and in times of need… but I can tell that Nuana loves you out of it. Would it be so hard to let Bo go and be with someone who has been on Team Dyson from day one?"

Dyson didn't say anything for a long time, just let her words sink in until he heard a car drive up.

"I'll go get Nuana for you. Rest, okay?"

Kenzi sighed in annoyance, resting back against her pillows again. "Whatever, furring palms,"

The doorbell rang, surprising them both. Kenzi clearly hadn't been expecting it while Dyson had thought it was Nuana returning from her grocery trip. Dyson left Kenzi in her room and headed downstairs, arriving at the door at the same time he heard someone knock on the door. Shave-and-a-haircut. He frowned as he unlocked the door and pulled it open… but the expression was soon replaced with a surprised look at finding the two familiar figures standing on Nuana's doorstep.

"Wolf!"

A midget seized Gaian spirit was suddenly latched onto him, her face burrowed into his stomach. Dyson's hand touched her back while the other remained on the doorknob, his eyes turning to Bran who looked just as surprised to see the shifter.

"Dyson,"

"Bran," he nodded respectfully as Evelyn ran past him and into the house with a shriek. "I assume Nuana forgot that it was her turn to watch little Evelyn?"

"_I'm not little!_"

Both men ignored her.

"It would seem so," Bran nodded, looking behind him as if he expected Nuana to walk down the stairs in nothing but a towel. "Where is my sister, exactly?"

"There was an emergency," Dyson explained to him vaguely. "We have an ill friend laid up upstairs. She's out getting some food for her,"

Bran seemed interested in this. "Who is the ailing one?"

"A human," Bran frowned at him so Dyson continued. "She is not Nuana's. The human belongs to a friend of ours,"

"And you are here?"

"Just to help where I can," Dyson assured him.

Bran nodded. "Then I will take Evelyn and go. I know that Reva hasn't spent nearly enough time with the little sapling,"

"Thank you," Dyson smiled, looking back over his shoulder to find Evelyn peaking around the corner, chewing on a cookie. "Time to go, Evelyn,"

The little Gaian let out one of the most whiney sounds Dyson had heard in a while.

"_Evelyn_,"

"But I want to stay here with Nuana and Wolf!" Evelyn exclaimed, coming out of her hiding place to stomp her feet. "I don't like it with Reva. I hate her! At least Nuana and Wolf let me do stuff… I want to stay,"

Bran gave her a hard look that should have left no room for argument. "It is time to go, Evelyn,"

"No!"

Evelyn ran off upstairs, heading straight for Kenzi's room.

"_Evelyn!_"

"Come back here!"

Dyson and Bran followed after her, the wolf shifter taking two steps at a time while the Gaian followed at his own pace. A shriek sounded just as Kenzi let out her own surprised shout from her room. Dyson came in, scooping Evelyn up on his shoulder as he met Kenzi's wide eyes.

"Kenzi, this is Evelyn,"

"Who is leaving," Bran bit out from behind Dyson, his eyes staring into Evelyn's.

"WHY ARE HER EYES BLEEDING?!"

"Because she didn't listen to her elders like a good little girl,"

Kenzi glared at him but remained silent.

Dyson swung the little girl on his shoulder around and headed out of the room with her. The three of them walked back down the stairs, Dyson careful not to hit Evelyn's head on any of the walls or railings on the way down. He even walked her out the door and to Bran's car just as Nuana was driving up to the house. As soon as her eyes landed on Evelyn hanging over Dyson's shoulder her eyes widened in realization, a flow of curses leaving her mouth as she parked her car next to Bran's.

"This was my week to watch her," Nuana hissed as she slammed her car door, not bothering to ask it. She knew it was true.

But Bran nodded anyway. "Do not worry about it, sister. I will take her to Reva or Mata. They could do with a bit of Evelyn's company,"

"I don't want to!" Evelyn exclaimed form Dyson's shoulder, hitting Dyson's lower back with her open palms. "Put me down, Wolf! I want to know why the human was bleeding. Does she have a fungus? Mata had a fungus and our tree was gross. Can't I stay? Please! I want to stay with Nuana and Wolf! You want me to stay, don't you, Wolf? Please, Nuana?"

Nuana smiled as she walked up behind Dyson, ruffling Evelyn's hair. "Not this time, little sapling, I am busy. Maybe next time, alright? We can make some cookies and have the human over again when she is better. Hmm? You do not want to have the human feeling ill, do you?"

Evelyn pushed out her bottom lip to record breaking lengths.

"Do not give me that," Nuana smiled, pinching the fat lip with her fingers. "Next week,"

Evelyn, finally realizing that she wasn't going to win, sighed, sagging against Dyson's shoulder in defeat. "_Fine_. I'll go see stupid Reva,"

Nuana smiled and kissed the little Gaian on top of the head. "Thank you, sapling,"

"I'm still mad at you,"

"No you are not,"

"Yes I am,"

Nuana smiled, kissing her on top of the head again. "Fine… but I do not invite people over who are mad at me… and Wolf does not talk to angry people,"

Evelyn's eyes went wide, trying to swing herself around to look Dyson in the face. "You don't?"

Dyson remained silent, only Bran seeing the smile breaking across his face.

Evelyn's eyes went wide in fear and she quickly spoke. "I'm not mad. I promise. I'll got to Mata's and then I'll come back next week. I'm not mad,"

"Good," Dyson smiled, swinging her down off his shoulder.

Once she was on her feet he let her go, allowing her to go get into Bran's car obediently. She sat in the passenger seat like a good little girl, her hands in her lap and her eyes straight ahead. The three adults chuckled at her, rolling their eyes at the youth among them.

"You aren't going to give us hugs before you go?"

"No,"

Bran bid the two goodbye before he got into his car and drove off with Evelyn, leaving Nuana and Dyson in her driveway. The two looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief with a hint of a smile before grabbing the groceries and heading inside. Once they were in the kitchen, Dyson took Nuana's bags from her and sent her upstairs to Kenzi, leaving him set down the bag on the counter and went to work making some of the broth that Nuana had bought for the sick human. He was headed up the stairs with it when Nuana came walking out of Kenzi's room. With his acute wolf hearing, he could hear Bo's voice on the other end of the line, baring good news by the tone of her voice. Nuana said a few words and hung up, smiling at him as he approached.

"Good news. Bo and Lauren are back and they have the sample. Lauren is busy making the antitoxin right now,"

"That's great," Dyson smiled at her. "When will it be finished?"

"Bo said she and Lauren should be here sometime tomorrow morning to administer it,"

"I'll stay and help you with Kenzi,"

"Thank you,"

Dyson bowed his head and followed her back into Kenzi's room, ready to feed Kenzi the broth and to ride out the night. It wasn't hard, Nuana only having to slow the basilisk venom one last time before the sun came over the horizon. Dyson answered the door before Bo or Lauren had the chance to knock, leading them up to Kenzi's room. Lauren quickly hooked Kenzi up to an IV and gave her the cure as Bo sat next to Kenzi, her hand clutching her human's. Nuana stood back and watched happily as Kenzi reacted to the cure, immediately asking for "real people food"… as long as it wasn't foot soup.

Nuana moved to go get her a burger and fries from the nearest fast food restaurant when Bo stopped her. "Thank you, Nuana… for everything. I know it must have been hell taking care of Kenzi for the past day. She isn't exactly the best patient,"

"It was no problem, Bo. I enjoyed having her. You are lucky to have such a human… such a person as your friend,"

Bo smiled. "I know,"

With that, Nuana bowed her head and left, unaware of the pale blue eyes that followed her.

"And you," Dyson looked up to find Bo walking towards her. "I should probably be thanking you too. You did a lot for Kenzi and I,"

"Anytime," Dyson smiled down at her. "She actually probably helped me more than I took care of her,"

"Really? How so?"

Dyson's eyes moved to the door where Nuana had left through. "She helped me realize some things…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**** I just wanted to tell you guys that the next few chapters are going to be slightly out of order and a few chapters aren't going to even be from this season… But it spices everything up so it's okay. **** Enjoy. **


	9. Fae Day

**RE: Author's Note:**** I just wanted to tell you guys that the next few chapters are going to be slightly out of order and a few chapters aren't going to even be from this season… But it spices everything up so it's okay. **** Enjoy. **

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Fae Day **

* * *

La Shoshain was the one day that the Norn allowed her children to be free of her will and so those who were still alive converged on the Dal. Maia and Bran stood with a few Loki while Leah, Thea and Seth tried to get lucky and/or drunk, Mason sitting with a few Fae playing board games. Nuana, on the other hand, sat at the bar with a book as Fae frolicked around her.

This was when Leah and Thea sashayed up to the bar, leaning in on Nuana with alcohol smelling breath baring down on her. The twins were giggling incessantly while sexual qi came off of them in heated waves that made Nuana incredibly uncomfortable.

"Hi, Nuana,"

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Sittin' by yourself?"

"Why don't you come play with us?"

"Yeah! There are a lot of nice Fae boys around,"

"Hey! There's Peter!"

"You know Peter," Thea smiled, nudging Nuana suggestively. "The guy you _could_ have had,"

"I _did_ have him," Nuana muttered into her book. "That's why I didn't want him,"

The twins laughed loudly before walking off into the fray to leave Nuana in peace. It didn't last long though. In annoyance, Nuana felt someone new plop down beside her. Nuana was planning on paying the person no notice until they poured some into her teacup. She was about to yell at them when she looked up and realized just who it was.

"Did anyone tell you it was rude to spike other peoples drinks?"

Kenzi shrugged. "I might have heard that,"

"Or that it is dangerous for a human, even claimed, to go about messing with Fae?"

"I can handle my shit," Kenzi assured her, pouring herself a glass. "Besides, I know you're not the kind that goes around eating children,"

Nuana smirked.

"Now, let's talk about the D-man that Bo's got running around,"

As the days had dragged on around the Dal, Bo and Dyson had begun to slowly break apart more and more. The fact that Bo had been harboring a growing interest in the human doctor that the Light Fae employed and that the two of them were beginning to realize that what they had wasn't working for one reason or another; they hadn't been spending much time together. Most times it was only Kenzi's and Hale's conversations that kept things from becoming too awkward. Nuana mostly stayed out of it… but the ever watchful human, was the only one she seemed to really notice was what going on with the Gaian.

"What about Dyson?"

Kenzi smiled into her cup, her eyes glancing at Bo and Dyson as they conversed farther down the bar. "I've got receptors telling me that you and he have a little somethin' somethin'… or at least _had_ it before Bo and I came along. You were just too nice to say anything when Bo decided to take a bite,"

"He wasn't mine,"

"Oh, but he was," Kenzi argued with a tip of her glass. "I can see it when you walk into a room with those to in it, even when they don't have their sexy on. I can see how you've got that disgusting churning feeling in your gut that occurs when one is rejected by a sexy sexy wolf man. You are jealous,"

"No, I'm not,"

"Admit it, flower power," Kenzi leaned in, wrapping an arm around Nuana's shoulders. "You want your wolf man back. You may not be a fighter but you are a lover, chica. As great as Dyson has been for my Bo, she doesn't love him the way you do. You've got to fight for him, too,"

Nuana glanced down the bar as Dyson smiled at something Bo said. It only served to make Nuana feel worse than when an ogre had thrown her through a brick wall when she had come to collect for her Mata. Nuana sagged in her seat and took a long drag from her spiked tea cup.

"I do not know what you are talking about, human,"

Kenzi snorted, rolling her eyes at the Gaian. "Whatever, flower power. You might not admit it but we both know you lurves him bunches,"

An ear splitting wail had both human and Fae dropping their glasses to clutch at their ears in a death grip to try to block out the sound. A roar that Nuana recognized as Dyson's barely softened the blow until the all too familiar wail finally cut off. Nuana looked around until she caught sight of a girl running out of the bar, leaving behind her a lot of worried faces.

"What the hell?!" Bo cried, removing the hands from her ears.

"Fae! The celebration is over!" Trick announced from the bar. "The celebration is over!"

"What the flipping Fae was that?" Kenzi asked her, sticking a finger in her ear as if to clear it out.

"That was a banshee,"

"A banshee?" Bo asked, moving down the bar towards Nuana, bringing Dyson with her. "Wait, don't they have something to do with-"

"Death?" Trick interrupted as they joined their group. "Yes, they do. They predict it… Which means someone in here is going to die, and soon," Trick left them to clear everyone out of his bar, shooing them out like mice with a broom. "Come on! Let's go! I'll say it again! Anyone not of the Five Families, clear out! The rest of you, the first round's on the house,"

"So tell me about this Five Families," Bo asked, turning to Nuana.

"The banshee's wail is only for the families. Five human, five Fae,"

"And if you're not of noble blood then you're safe?"

"That's the theory," Maia added as she approached the three of them. "A long time ago, Bran, Reva, Nuana, Media and I were in the presence of the banshee when he wailed. The Norn's kin are not considered to be a part of the royal families but… Media's heart was harvested that night,"

"Sorry,"

Bran shrugged beside Maia. "Let us hope that this banshee wailed for one of the Five Families and not for a Gaian. We'll know more once she speaks,"

"You can tell?"

Bran nodded. "You can make a banshee talk. Tell you who the wail is for," A smile lit his face as he looked down at her. "And I'm going to show you how,"

"Me?"

"La Shoshane is a holy day," Nuana explained to her. "No powers, no violence, no feeding. It's all about sacrifice, to commemorate the blood sacrifice made by the Blood King-"

"Blood King. Blood sacrifice," Bo rolled her eyes. "That's a whole lot of blood and not a lot of details,"

"Well, we are talking about stuff that happened over a thousand years ago," Dyson told her as he eyed the numbers flashing above the door. "It's more myth than fact,"

"So there are stories then,"

"Yes, there are stories but all that really remains are the written laws,"

"Okay but you must know one story,"

"I'm sure Nuana knows a few. She was around during that time,"

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus, friend," she muttered as he smiled over Bo's head as the succubus turned towards her eagerly.

"Come on. One story,"

"_Bo_," Nuana sighed. "Read a book… or better yet, come with Dyson and I,"

"Why?"

"On this day there are no powers, no Fae on Fae violence, no feeding on humans. _But_ those who are unaligned are secular and therefore are not bound by those laws,"

"And you don't know who your family is," Dyson pointed out. "You could have noble blood. Maybe the banshee wailed for _you_,"

Bo groaned. "_Fine_… but you owe me,"

The suggestive look she gave him made Nuana want to gag.

"Kenzi?"

"You guys go!" Kenzi waved at them with her mouth full of food. "This food isn't going to eat itself,"

"Remind me to stock up if you ever come to visit," Nuana murmured to Bo.

An hour later, Bo, Dyson and Nuana were headed up to the booking agent that had sent the banshee to the Dal for the day to get more information about the banshee. The two women followed Dyson into the office that's door proclaimed it _Neptune's Talent, For All Your Booking Needs_. Inside was a curvy woman muttering into her phone, holding up a well-manicured until she finished with her call. She turned a practiced smile on the three of them, smacking her gum in between.

"What can I help you lovelies with?"

"Shavon McManice," Dyson told her, holding up his badge for her to see. "We need to ask her a few questions about a gig she just played,"

"Shavon. That girl's a bit of a flake. She called from the bus station and canceled all of her bookings for the whole week. If you find her, why don't you bring her to me so I can ring her little neck,"

The sneeze from the closet behind them was what ruined the charade. Inside was Shavon the Banshee, wiping her nose on her sleeve with an annoyed glare as Bo opened the door. Once they had gotten the office to themselves, Bo and Nuana went to work tying Shavon to a chair as Dyson pulled out a thermos that emitted a horrid smell.

"This sucks- all I wanted was to play the gig, get paid, get wastes, get laid- I hate being made to talk!" Shavon exclaimed as she glanced at the thermos. "Make sure those are tight, chicky-bo. This gets messy. My kind has a real bad allergic reaction to iron,"

"Oh please tell me you are _not_ going to…" Bo began, but as Dyson handed the thermos and a funnel to Nuana, she realized what was about to happen. "That will make her talk?"

"Yeah," Shavon sighed before eyeing Nuana as she approached. "Careful. I have the _worst_ gag reflex,"

Nuana smiled. "I will keep that in mind,"

Everyone in the room winced as they watched Shavon choke it down, no one enjoying the gurgling sound that she made. When Nuana thought the banshee had swallowed enough, she pulled the funnel away and dropped to her knees next to her. Shavon bowed her head as she struggled against her bonds, only stopping as her eyes snapped open again but this time with the white fog of the Ancient Mourners.

"_It is the voice of the Ancient Mourners. The Grieving Ones_,"

"There has been a call to death,"

"_We are bound the old families and cry for their loss. The loss of the one named Sean Cavanaugh_,"

"How long does he have?" Dyson asked.

"_He will not live past sundown_,"

A moment later, Shavon's eyes shut and gagging ensued. Nuana and Dyson barely dived out of the way before Shavon vomited, the liver shake and more being projectile vomit across the room.

"Great," Shavon whined once she was back to herself, the Ancient Mourners gone. "Now I won't be able to get out of bed for a week,"

"Shh," Nuana soothed, putting away the thermos before moving to kneel in front of the ailing girl again. "I have something that might help you…" Before she could protest, Nuana placed a hand on her chest and opened her mouth as qi passed between the two. Shavon was stiff for a moment before she relaxed in her seat, the qi settling into her that made her feel like her bones had gone soft. The transfer of energy done, Nuana stood and smiled.

"Whoa," Bo said, in awe at the Fae woman before her. "That was awesome,"

"Well, I feel better," Shavon muttered dreamily.

"You are welcome," Nuana smiled as she picked up a towel and wiped off Shavon's face. "Now let us get her untied so we can inform Sean Cavanaugh of his fate,"

Dyson drove both women back to the Dal where they informed Sean- now Kenzi's and Mason's friend- about his impending death. The Gaian and the human both gave the Fae man a pitying look and got him drinks to drown his sorrows, trying everything possible to cheer him up. However, the only thing that seemed to perk him up was a favor from Bo.

Dyson and Nuana, meanwhile, sat together at the bar with a bottle of scotch.

"… That isn't something I can see you doing,"

"I did," she told him nonchalantly, leaving him with a shocked expression. "I was with her for a year but I never felt complete… I suppose that has to do with what I am- Gaian spirits don't love easily- but it never felt right," Nuana shrugged again and took a sip of her drink before a question popped into her head. "You've been around for quite a while. Have you ever… tried the other team?"

Dyson growled at her in mock-threat. "I am only and will only ever be attracted to women. Also, being part animal makes it hard to be attracted to anyone of the same sex. Mating is a large part of what shifters are,"

"And have you ever… mated?"

Dyson chuckled into his glass. "Yes and no. Not in the way you mean,"

Nuana's eyebrows drew together. "What is the way I mean?"

"Yes, I have had sex. Obviously since I did with you," Dyson glanced away from her, trying to hurry on with the conversation even as images of her beneath him flashed through his mind. "But I've never mated. I've never found the one person I'm meant to be with. It's very intimate, very permanent. A shifter only mates once,"

"That's… unfortunate," Nuana murmured as she thought about it. Only being able to have one person to love and be loved by forever… "I mean, you'd have to be positive about it. What if you screwed up? Or what if the person you realized was the one was human?"

"Exactly," Dyson nodded, an uncomfortable look on his face.

Nuana reached forward and tugged on his beard lightly to get his attention. "But it is probably very comforting to whoever you chose. Can you imagine what it would be like to know that your love will only look at you with that love in their eyes? That no matter where they are, they are thinking of you and when you are dead and gone, they will still be thinking about you,"

Dyson smiled at her. "Thanks, Nuana. Are you saying my abilities aren't up to par and I won't be able to keep her alive?"

Nuana sat back with a snort. "Definitely not. You'd probably end up with someone like Bo who gets herself into trouble without trying,"

The mention of Bo made Nuana's chest hurt, her eyes dropping to her drink.

"Nuana?"

The smile she turned on Dyson was so well practiced that he wouldn't have been able to tell that she was hiding anything… except he could smell her pain in her scent. He frowned at Nuana's expression, even as it tried to display to him that she was fine.

He went to ask her what was wrong when he was interrupted.

"Hey, Dyson!" He turned to find Bo walking towards him. "I've got a favor to do for Sean so he can reconcile with his brother. Be my backup?"

"This is my _one_ day off from cops and Fae, to drink in peace,"

Bo made a pouting face. "_Pwease_,"

"Go on, Dyson," Nuana urged from behind him. "Your lady calls. You must follow,"

Dyson sighed, his vision beginning to clear on what exactly was going on with Nuana's melancholy behavior. Regardless though, he nodded to Bo and agreed to go with her. "You're driving. Meet me out at the car?"

"Great!" Bo exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek before leaving the bar.

Once she was gone, Dyson turned to look down at a chest fallen Nuana, who was staring dejectedly at her glass. Without warning, Dyson leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to stiffen in her seat before looking up at him.

"Save me a drink?"

She couldn't help but smile at him. "Hurry back. I do have a life,"

He chuckled again, kissing her on the top of the head before leaving the bar with Bo.

A few hours later, when Dyson and Bo returned, Kenzi, Sean and Liam dragging behind them, Nuana was about to leave. The sight of the two brothers together would have made her think that Bo had been successful on making the brothers forgive each other if it weren't for the tension in the air that followed them into the bar. Nuana instantly moved to Dyson's side as he walked in, looking up at him questioningly.

"Bo has just invoked Agallamh,"

The words shocked Nuana into silence, her eyes wide as she looked over at the woman. "Does she know that she forfeits her life?"

"Not when she said it, no,"

The tables were pushed towards the walls and everyone readied for the sacred Agallamh.

Nuana and her kin helped Trick ready Bo for the ceremony and stood as silent witnesses as the ceremony began. The whole thing looked as if Bo would lose her life, neither brother looking as if they would be reconciling anytime soon, especially with the Goblin lurking on the outskirts of the circle the Gaian spirits created. Only when Kenzi called for the brothers' father to be brought into the circle did things become clear. The father had been the cause of the whole conflict and upon realizing it, the Goblin was called off and the brothers embraced.

"You have got to be the luckiest woman I've ever met," Nuana told Bo as she approached her once the Agallamh had been closed. "I'm glad to see you survived,"

"And maybe now you'll just tell me the stories instead of making me read," Bo smiled good-naturedly. "Could have saved me a lot of worry,"

"And you wouldn't have learned,"

Just after sundown, Sean died saving his brother from death.

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**Author's Note:**** Sorry for the awkwardness at the end. **


	10. Mirror, Mirror (10-1)

**Chapter 10 – Mirror, Mirror (10.1)**

* * *

Nuana was at home, lying in bed after a late night of wrangling up some tooth fairies for her Mata when she got a call. Nuana didn't like cell phones but she kept one because it was the easiest way for her Mata and siblings to get ahold of her. The device flashed and buzzed on her nightstand, nearly falling on the floor hadn't she snatched it up right away. With a few practiced moves, Nuana answered the phone and had it pressed to her ear.

"This is Nuana,"

"_NUANA!_"

She held the phone away from her ear with a wince as Kenzi shrieked her name. Clearly Bo's human was drunk off her ass and had felt the need to call her. Why? Nuana didn't know.

"Kenzi? What are you doing up this late?"

"_Drinking! Dyson bit it off with Bo and now we've been drinking away our rejection churn-ey feelings. I wanted to call you so we could drink and curse Dyson with us_,"

Nuana rolled her eyes. "I am sorry, Kenzi, but I do not have an issue with him,"

"_Yes, you do_," Kenzi argued as a crashing sound came over the line from her end. "_He's been all friendly and done nothing to get you sexyfied and in his den! He strung Bo along too because he wanted two sugar mamas_,"

Nuana rolled her eyes. "Kenzi. Go to bed. Tomorrow you will not remember any of this and-"

"_Yes. I. Will. Because he hurt you guys_,"

"Kenzi?"

"_Yeah?_"

"Good night,"

Nuana hung up, letting out a laugh at the thought of the drunk little human worrying over two Fae women. If she were being honest, Nuana like Kenzi very much but sometimes worried over whether Bo was taking good enough care of her or whether Kenzi realized that she was a bit over her head. No matter how puffed up Kenzi was, she was always going to be a human among Fae. Her phone rang again but Nuana ignored it, turning over and settling comfortably into her sheets without another thought of Kenzi.

The next morning, Nuana woke to an uneasy feeling in her stomach and an itchy chest. She didn't think much on it until she was in the shower and her chest started stinging just above her heart. It hurt far too much to be one of the many little tooth fairy bites that littered her body. So she looked down at her chest and found a marking that sent a shock of horror into her heart.

She'd been marked by Baba Yaga.

"Shit,"

She got out and changed quickly, not bothering to walk to the Dal like she usually did. She needed to get to Trick as soon as possible, in the hopes that he would know something for her to do before she had to result to turning to her Mata. If the Norn found out that Baba Yaga had managed to somehow mark one of her own, her mata would be furious at Nuana. So she drove with her foot pressed all the way against the gas, arriving at the Dal in record time.

When she walked in she saw Dyson standing at the bar, looking like he needed a drink. His pale blue eyes looked exceptionally predatory today, scanning the room as if watching for a potential attack that would hit him at any moment. He was an impressive figure as he leaned against the bar, his muscular body easily seen through his grey button up.

"Hey, Nuana," he greeted as she walked up to him, leaning against the bar.

Annoyance suddenly flared in her chest towards him as soon as his voice hit her ears. It was sudden and unexpected but none the less powerful as she glared. "Shut up, Dyson,"

The shifter turned to stare down at her in complete shock. "Sorry?"

"Sorry will not keep you from breaking my heart," Nuana muttered at him angrily. She hadn't realized until this moment how much of an ass he could be. Why couldn't he just shut up and keep to himself? He didn't have to save everyone. The whole world didn't revolve around him. "You do not care about me so stop pretending you do. Do not deny it,"

"What?"

Nuana turned to glare up at him, hating how damned tall he was too. "Who do you think you are, Dyson? Just because you are a damn wolf does not mean you have to make any damn stray apart of your pack. Is that what I am to you? A stray? Just because my Mata dislikes me does not mean that you have to swoop in and take pity on me. I can take care of myself,"

It was only now that she was realizing how much he had been using her. He'd been pitying her this whole time! He'd never actually liked her. It had been all about pitying her. Only now was she realizing that he'd been using her. Why hadn't she seen it before? Before she could punch him in his smug face, she crossed her arms over her chest to try to trap the anger against her chest and keep herself from punching him.

"You have just been playing with me for the past year like a cat with a stupid cat toy and as soon as something better showed up, you ran off with the majestic succubus. I should not have expected anymore from a man!"

She reared back and slammed her fist into his jaw, barely knocking him back at all. She went to shove him again but this time he caught her arms, holding her back from hitting him. "What the hell, Nuana?! What are you doing?!"

"Let me go! Let me _go!_"

"Stop it! What are you doing?!"

"Whoa! Hey, hey, hey! Nuana!"

Suddenly Bo was standing between the two of them, Bo's hand on her cheek where an erotic thrum was working its way through Nuana's body. Never before has she felt the powers of a succubus and she wasn't likely to forget.

"What's wrong? What did he do?"

"I do not feel well," Nuana whined, closing her eyes to try to focus on the nauseating anger that had been building in her stomach since she came within ten feet of Dyson.

"Nuana… where did you get that mark?"

"I found it this morning," Nuana told her in monotone, keeping her eyes closed as she felt the taint of magic in her blood. "Baba Yaga has marked me as her own… I don't know how or why,"

"Baba Yaga?"

"Apparently we've been cursed," Bo explained to both Nuana and Dyson as she took her hands off of the Gaian. "By _Kenzi_,"

Kenzi walked over guiltily. "_Ta da_,"

Nuana opened her eyes and shivered, a little from the residual lustfulness and a little from the magical induced anger that was still simmering inside her. As best she could, Nuana tried to ignore her hate for Dyson, trying desperately to remember how much she loved him and how much of a good guy he was.

"Kenzi, why would you put a curse on Dyson?"

"I'm sorry, okay?!" the human exclaimed desperately. "She's supposed to be a _myth!_"

"That's why women have been freaking out at me all day?" Dyson groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Kenzi… Why the hell would you invoke Baba Yaga on me? What are you, twelve?"

"I was drunk okay!" Kenzi exclaimed. "My mind wasn't really working right,"

"Clearly," Dyson snapped.

"Would you shut up, you stupid beast?" Nuana snapped, slowly turning until her hazel eyes met Dyson's, an angry glint to them that no one had ever seen before. "How was the human supposed to know that there was a witch in the mirror? Even if she did, you deserve everything coming at you,"

"Nuana-"

"Just like a man, you care nothing for others. Maybe you should sit back and think about why Kenzi put the curse on you,"

"Nuana," Bo hissed, grabbing her face. "You've got to fight this. Okay? It's just a curse,"

Nuana frowned at her but took a deep breath and tried to focus on burying the magic. It wasn't easy… especially when Dyson was such a manipulative asshole that- She was going to have to work on it a bit. Nuana nodded to Bo to tell her she was alright and Bo let go.

Trick frowned up at Nuana. "But you've been marked. You shouldn't be affected by her magic in the same way other women are in Dyson's presence,"

"Yes, but I am the Norn's daughter," Nuana told him as if it were supposed to be obvious. "Now that a Gaian has been marked, the crone wants to truly make me hers,"

"Why would she do that?" Bo asked.

"Because, like all Fae powerful Fae, they thirst for more," Nuana told her. "The witch and the Norn are very much a like though they don't like to admit it. They both are powerful, they draw their power from their home, they make deals with others that the person comes to regret, the both have their own handmaidens. They have been rivals since the beginning of time and enemies ever since my Mata proved to be the most powerful,"

"So Baba Yaga created her own dimension to gain power and has arguable grown more powerful over the centuries. Possibly more powerful than the Norn,"

"Oh, goody,"

"However, the crone's powers are based in her own world. If she were to come here she'd be barely more powerful than you or I in comparison to the Norn. But if she were to get one of my kin or I into her world, she could use us to draw power from the Norn to make a connection between her and the Earth so that she could permanently materialize here. And with one of us, she could take our connection to the Norn and draw power from the Norn directly,"

"Like a battery,"

Nuana tossed her head noncommittally. "A little like. With a Gaian, the witch would be more powerful than she already is while she is here,"

"Bad idea," Trick murmured.

"So now that she has marked me as one of her own, she is infecting me with her magic,"

"Can you get rid of it?"

"Not without breaking the curse on Dyson,"

"Great," Dyson growled. "When are you going to stop messing with things you don't understand? You're so bloody human!"

Suddenly tears fell down Nuana's face, surprising everyone in the room. "Nuana? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Nuana crossed her arms over her chest as tightly as she could, trying to keep herself from doing something rash. "I really want to beat Dyson to a pulp right now,"

Bo snorted but tried to get serious when Dyson glared at her.

"Trick," Kenzi pleaded, approaching Trick with wide doe eyes. "Trick, you gotta help us,"

"Out of the question. Baba Yaga dwells in her own realm. A place other Fae can't interfere with, let alone enter. Even if I could, I can't. That witch is-"

"One serious slice of harsh?" Bo tried.

"You have no idea,"

"So what am I supposed to do?" Kenzi murmured.

Dyson slammed a fist down on the bar, breaking nearby glasses, the wolf in his eyes as he glared down at the human. "You're gonna fix it. _Now_!"

"Shut up, beast, or I will find you a muzzle," Nuana growled. "If you keep saying things like that her magic is going to make me vomit or qi suck you into a coma,"

"Look, I did it and I'll fix it," Kenzi told them, looking between the raging wolf, the annoyed succubus and the Gaian spirit with Baba Yaga sickness.

"How are you going to do that?" Hale asked.

Nuana stepped forward with a sigh. "I will have to call her,"

"Didn't you just say that it is dangerous for you to get anywhere near her?" Bo reminded.

"We have to do _something_, Bo. And I would rather we do this here and among friends before Kenzi and you go off and get yourselves sucked into her realm with no witnesses about,"

Both Bo and Kenzi conceded the point.

"The Norn won't be happy when she hears what you are doing," Trick warned her. "And I'm not sure this is the smartest way to go about this,"

"Well, if things go wrong, Mata will have no choice but to intervene. Everyone wins,"

"That's what you're hoping,"

Nuana shrugged. "Then let us hope this goes as planned,"

Together, the group gathered everything Nuana needed to call Baba Yaga, the most important of which was a mirror. Together, Nuana, Bo and Kenzi stood in front of the mirror- Dyson, Trick and Hale standing off- as Nuana called for Baba Yaga. First she cut her hand and drew the sign of Baba Yaga on Kenzi's left cheek, then did the same to Bo, drawing the sign of Baba Yaga on Kenzi's right cheek.

"Now I will call for the witch," she warned them all. "If I succeed, Kenzi will fall into a trance that will make her the anchor to bring the crone to the Veil,"

"Is that safe?"

Nuana smiled over at Kenzi. "Not really,"

"Great,"

Nuana knelt before the mirror, head bowed low, her hand over the mark Baba Yaga had made on her heart. "Čarodejnica starých lesov, Keeper of the Dead, Tieň v zrkadle, vaša označené tie, zavolajte na vás cez závoj požiadať o audienciu. Navrhovateľka zmlúv, čarodejnica Underhill, Traverser opony, Underhill a Zem stretnú u Závoje Starého lesa, zrkadlá sa portály a voda teraz chodníky. Všemohúci Baba, voláme pre vás. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga," (Witch of the Old Woods, Keeper of the Dead, Shadow in the Mirror, your marked ones call to you across the Veil to ask an audience. Draftswoman of Contracts, Enchantress of Underhill, Traverser of the Veil, the Underhill and the Earth meet together at the Veil of the Old Woods, mirrors now portals and water now walkways. Almighty Baba, we call for you. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga.)

"_Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga_," Kenzi fell into the trance, grey eyes crossed as she began speaking with multiple voices. "_I seek vengeance in Bo and Nuana's names on the one called Dyson_,"

"**And I made good on dat plea**,"

Nuana dropped her head to the ground in a low bow towards the mirror where the silhouette of the old witch could be seen. Slowly the Gaian stood, her eyes not meeting the mirror in a respectful gesture, keeping her hand over her itchy mark.

"Witch of the Old Woods, we meet again across the Veil,"

"**Nuana**," the crone breathed, seeming pleased at who she saw. The pleasure in her voice made Dyson's wolf bristle. "**Child by de Norn… how long it has been zince you called to me last**,"

Everyone stared at Nuana's back but she ignored them.

"Witch of the Old Woods, you graciously answered a call from our plane to place a powerful curse on the one called Dyson in another's name and mine. However, this extraordinary curse was invoked without either of our knowledge of it, nor our permission to place it. Humbly and respectfully, we ask you to remove your curse,"

"**I can remove the affliction**,"

"Oh, good," Bo smiled.

"**In exchange for de Gaian and de zuccubus whose names it vas made**,"

"_What?_"

"No," Nuana stood in a flash, no longer bothering with etiquette as she met the witch's eye. She could already feel the surge in the witch's magic through the mirror, gently swathing her and readying to yank Nuana and Bo into Baba Yaga's realm. Nuana couldn't let that happen. "You are the Draftswoman of Contracts and you know that this is an unfair trade. The succubus and I did not invoke this curse and the human did not know better. You cannot take two for one curse,"

"**And who made dis rule?**"

"You are bound to follow your own rules, crone, and you know it,"

"**And you are bound to me now, Gaian… you are mine**,"

Dyson snarled at that, his wolf entering his eyes at those words that meant so much to him as a shifter. It was bad enough that his Nuana belonged to the Norn… he would not allow her to be claimed by yet another Fae.

"If you do this the Norn's power will be brought down upon you," Nuana tried desperately, now grasping at straws to keep from being taken like she knew would happen. It was only a matter of time.

"**She has no power here, Gaian, and you know dis vell**,"

"You may live in a pocket realm but she will find you,"

"**And until zen, you are **_**mine**_,"

Baba Yaga's power surged in the bar, a wave that was almost suffocating as it swept through and settled over Bo and Nuana. The two stumbled forward as they were pulled towards the mirror no longer holding the silhouette of Baba Yaga but what looked like her cabin of bones. Bo was being dragged toward the mirror, the only thing stopping her being a strong grasp on the bar behind her and the help of Trick and Hale. Nuana, on the other hand, was stumbling forward with nothing to grab onto beyond the traction in her shoes.

"_No!_" Dyson roared, vaulting over the bar and surging across the room in an instant. He grabbed Nuana in a vice-like grip, his arms wrapping protectively around her small body and his claw-like fingers digging into her sides. She gasped in pain and surprise as he surrounded her, keeping her from moving any closer to the portal. The wolf was in Dyson's eyes and in his voice as he growled; "_Mine_," The solitary word made Nuana shiver.

"No! No! Bo! Stop!" Kenzi yelled, jumping in between the two marked women and the portal to Baba Yaga's realm. "I'm the one that invoked the curse and I'm the one that should pay!"

"Kenzi, no!" Dyson shouted.

"**I was hoping you vould zay dat**," Baba Yaga cackled happily. "**I have no need for a zuccubus. But a nubile young girl? **_**Dat**_** I can devour**!"

With a final cackle, both Kenzi and Nuana shimmered and disappeared into the mirror.

"_NO!_" Dyson roared, his eyes a fiery-gold as he charged at the mirror as if it were the enemy. It shattered before he reached it, tiny pieces of glass and silver falling to the floor with the faint image of the two women in the shards.

* * *

**Author's Note: Please review!**


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